[written by Brigette Schwimmer]
I have osteoporosis and I’m afraid to do any weights because I think it will hurt and make things worse.
So often in my practice I hear my patients tell me they are afraid to do any weight lifting/strength training when they have osteoporosis, that they are afraid it will lead to further fractures and injuries. And that is completely understandable.
It can be scary when you have this diagnosis. However, that potential distrust in your bones is normal, and any uncertainty on the matter can effect which lines you feel you can cross before things “break.”
I’m here to tell you that weight lifting is actually WHAT your bones need when you have osteoporosis. Your bones are dynamic structures, that are constantly remodeling themselves, growing, changing, developing. And the thing that is the stimulus for that remodeling? LOADING.
Biologists know this process as Wolf’s Law of Bone: You load the bones to build them. For my beautiful nerdy folk out there who want to know more, refer to the reference section for a deeper dive into the science behind it.
For a lot of us in the modern society where we don’t have super physical jobs, we have to supplement that loading process with, you guessed it, weight lifting. You might be asking, but how does this work when I have osteoporosis?
Doesn’t having osteoporosis mean my bones aren’t as strong and if I did weight lifting -especially heavy weight lifting!- it might break them? The answer: Nope! As you are aware, with this diagnosis, old bone is removed faster than new bone is laid down.
It’s not so much that bones are “weak” as much as it just takes more effort to make sure that as old bone is removed new bone is put there in its place. And what helps make new bone? Load.
It’s kind of counterintuitive, for so long folks with osteoporosis have been told not to lift heavy things because your bones are “weak”. But the exact opposite is true, you need to lift heavy things so your bones WON’T be weak.
In fact, in this really cool trial in New Zealand –done in 2018 called the LIFTMOR trial— they had post-menopausal women 65-70 years of age with T scores of 0.0 to -3.9 participate in high intensity resistance training, the kind of stuff you see weight lifters do in the gym (they also did one with men with osteoporosis with same results!).
These gals were lifting heavy, most of them had no previous lifting experience. Not only did their bones not break, in the high resistance trial group some of them actually reversed their T score. They actually reversed the diagnosis and made their bones stronger. This was a high quality study, one of the first of its kind to say hey guys you’re not weak: Lift heavy, build your bones.
So to answer the original question: When is it not safe to perform weight lifting when I have osteoporosis? This article suggests it is more than safe for any folks with a T score of -3.9 or higher. This article also emphasizes the importance of performing these heavy lifts under skilled supervision (even if you have experience, which I found interesting).
At Tandem, we are here to help you build your bones! We are currently cooking up a program just for you guys to help you feel confident lifting heavy, and to get better and stronger than you already are. It is going to be our very own Liftmor to Stay Strong program. More on that below!
At the end of the day, remember: your bones are dynamic, shifting and ever-evolving creations. No matter where you are in your stage of life, you can harness that power of change. You will quite literally feel it in your bones.
References:
Wolf’s Law of Bone: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK499863/#:~:text=Wolff’s%20Law%20states%20that%20bones,strengthening%20of%20the%20cortical%20layer.
LIFTMOR trial:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28975661
Upcoming Osteoporosis Workshops:
This month in the clinic, Brigette will be hosting two workshop events on “How To Build Strong, Resilient Bones, And Prevent Fractures If You Have Been Told You Have Osteoporosis Or Osteopenia Through Healthy Strengthening.”
According to the CDC, about 10 million people 50+ in the US have osteoporosis and it has been estimated that one in two women 50+ will suffer a fracture related to osteoporosis in their lifetime.
Hence, the importance of getting informed about what you can do to lower your risk and support your body.
If you have concerns about bone weakening, potential fractures, and the impacts that could have on your health, you will definitely want to join us on either Wednesday, July 23 @10:30A or Tuesday, July 29 @4:30P.
We are offering two opportunities to attend this time, and have about 10 seats left available.
Register for FREE on either Wednesday, July 23 @10:30A or Tuesday, July 29 @4:30P.
You do not need to be a patient of TPT to attend – this event is open to your friends and family as well.
➡️ Click HERE to register online! Or give the clinic a call at (504) 407-3477 to claim your seat!
