exercising & dumbbell weights with osteoporosis

Do you have an endocrinologist to help you? Could you provide some more information about your osteoporosis and the treatment path you are taking.

hmbrglr @hmbrglr
Impressive commitment to working out !

Not knowing if you are able to get advice from qualified PT - however,
if you can do squats, it is a compound exercize. I do mine
standing in front of a couch, which reassures me that, until I am much better,
I have a soft landing.
I'm sure I looked awkward and exceedingly out of shape when starting.
No matter.
It doesn't have to be deep squats. You will improve as you do
it more often. I read somewhere, it might have been Dr Stuart McGill,
that we all have different body mechanics, and some of us can do squats more
easily and squat lower than others.

Pushing out against a wall, or a countertop, to eventually, do push ups
on the floor: even on elbows at first.
I am not doing these on the floor, yet.

You are doing 5 lbs weights - are you doing overhead? Farmer's Walk, arm rows,
bicep curls.

Stairs, at home, or outdoors. It is a combination cardio and osteogenic.
There are different variations, when you get more fit, to use weights,
for example going up and down stairs.
With your scores, similar to mine, I don't know if rucking is recommended.
Or weighted vests.

Don't forget resistant bands. There are many videos on it.

As you say, you want to continue, to make sure your muscles don't get weaker.

Swimming and walking are wonderful, of course, however
I focus on doing exercizes to build bones and muscles.

Let us know what else you are doing with exercizes.

@hmbrglr A -4.0 T-score is serious but it does not automatically mean you cannot exercise, though certainly you have to be careful. Using myself as an example. I was quite active doing bodyweight exercises, walking, playing pickleball and intermittently lifting weights. As my T-scores got worse and worse I made changes as I got up to a worst point of -4.1. For instance I stopped pickleball because I liked playing intensely and I did too many sudden and extreme movements. I did not stop lifting weights. I figured that I knew I had been able to say do farmer's carries with 50lbs in each hand without hurting myself. So as my scores worsened I lowered the weight somewhat. I would have liked to have increased the weights instead but as I my bones were getting less dense rapidly I figured I had to reduce. Same with squats . I was squatting with up to 50lbs (goblet squat) in the recent past so I figured I'll reduce it and do more reps.
It was not the direction I wanted to go in as I wanted to be doing around 85% of my one rep max.
After a year of Evenity and huge gains in bone density I have been steadily increasing the weights in the these exercises.
There does not seem to be any way to know how much exercise any individual can handle. How much resistance can one use. Research shows that in general more is better, if you don't hurt yourself. In my case I was able to use how much exercise I was doing before I found out I had osteoporosis as a guide. And then how much weight I was using after I knew I had it but hadn't adjusted in my mind to the reality of the situation. Then as I got worse and I woke up to my situation and I used my past exercise history as a guideline to what I could safely do. Not a perfect method but it gave me a way to go forward with exercise.
I have not fractured so far, knock on wood. Hope this helps

@awfultruth

There's a lot to unpack in your comments.
I had to read several times.

Was the score -4.1 after Evenity treatment.

You were squatting with goblet with 50 lbs - in each hand -
which totals 100 lbs. ! Amazing

It's good news that you haven't fractured before or since
treatment, Hurrah.

If you are lucky to be close to an Onero facility -
that would be super.
If that is not available, I would seek out a very qualified and
experienced PT to help chart a plan -
to safely reach your peak in weight bearing goals.

The 85% load may not be for everyone - same as 10,000
steps a day is not for everyone.
We can still have great results without these magic
numbers.

Let us know of your progress - being that proactive
is an inspiration to all of us.

@bevlevvancouverbc Hi there, here's some follow ups.

The -4.1 as a worst I got in my lumbar spine was just before Evenity. After Evenity my worst vertebra was -2.2. I was elated!

The goblet squat is a two-handed hold on a single weight so that was only one 50lb dumbbell. I later added doing regular dumbbell squats and since Evenity I'm up to 50lbs in each hand with that style.
I don't know what my maximum is but I'm too cautious to try to find out.
The goblet squat helps with form but it takes a lot of arm shoulder chest effort to hold the weight like that. You get more weight going against your thighs, buttocks and spine by doing regular dumbbell squats.

I don't live near anyone doing Onero but I've been following Belinda Beck and her work for several years now and I'm pretty competent in what i'm doing. The one LIFTMOR / Onero exercise I don't feel sure about I just don't do. That's the jumping pullup and drop exercise.
I have had two PTs and one sport chiropractor observe my form doing these exercises. I'm pretty much good with all this. Of course there is always more to learn.

As of my last DEXA my Spine was -3.4 Total Hip -2.8 Femoral Neck -2.7. But those numbers mean different things to different people. I'm 5'4" 104lbs, age 71, and have always been small-boned and slim. I deadlift 60# comfortably, backsquat 50#, bench 40#, and overhead press 30#. I go to Planet Fitness and use all the machines and the dumbbells and Smith machines. I started lifting 6 years ago, when my numbers were similar to what they are today, and believe I have stopped the progress of my osteoporosis, and made some small improvements through my exercise. I started slowly with a kind trainer, (who was very careful with technique, and how I used my back in particular) and have very gradually increased my weights over the years. I think way too many of us are afraid of fracturing with exercise. The important thing is to actually be building muscle, which pulls on bone and provides stimulus for growth. When we are "scared still" of fracturing, we do ourselves more harm than good. Being strong and well muscled also protects us from falling. I don't play pickleball, because I think it's dangerous, lol. But I do walk, use the elliptical, bike, rowing machine, and stair climber. We are ALL UNIQUE. There is no one size fits all exercise program. But it seems clear to me that not exercising is not helpful.

Thanks. I needed to hear from someone my age who exercises too . You made me feel so much better. I have a planet fitness very close by . I have pain every day but my body feels better when I feel strong and I wouldn’t push it.

Thsnks. I have trouble with squats. I think my hips need to be replaced (ugh) I’ve been putting it off because I know you have to be off these meds for this. So in the meantime I will try to stay as strong as I can. It sounds like you are doing well &You have a great workout 🏋️‍♂️ plan.

I've been lifting since 2012 before I was diagnosed. I was diagnosed with osteoporosis in 2018, with current hip T-score around -3 and spine around -2. I had a compression fracture 14 months ago but it did not happen while exercising.

Once I healed, I started lifting again at a lower intensity but have gradually been able to regain the levels I was at before and increase in some cases.

I lift three times a week doing 80# deadlifts, 30# back squats, 30# overhead press and a bunch of other exercises using 5, 10, 15, and 25# weights.

I also do jumps from a height of 18 inches.

I feel grateful that I can exercise as I know many have very low T-scores that rule it out.

Hi, I have read your post and it seems you were doing everything right and yet your scores were low. Is there an explanation for that? If heavy weights and high impact help to make stronger bones, I am curious to know why you have osteoporosis. I am currently working out with weights and always did but never to the extent you did. Just very curious since the goal is to do what you were doing and continue to do.