This is a sponsored post by Seattle Strength & Performance
I want to talk about something that doesn’t get nearly enough attention in the fitness world — bone health. Specifically, a condition called osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is a very scary sounding word, and rightfully so – it can be a scary diagnosis.
🦴 WHAT IS OSTEOPOROSIS?
Osteoporosis is a disease that causes our bones to become weak and brittle and is a common cause of bad injuries like broken hips in age related falls. The word literally means “porous bone” — and that’s a pretty good visual. Healthy bone tissue has a dense, honeycomb-like structure. With osteoporosis, those spaces grow larger, making bones weaker and more prone to fractures. It is also known as a “silent disease” because there are usually no noticeable symptoms and it can only be diagnosed with something called a DEXA scan that analyzes your bone density – and many don’t find out until they have their first big bone break.
📊 WHO IS AT RISK?
The numbers are more significant than most people realize:
- About 10 million Americans have osteoporosis, and another 44 million have low bone density,
putting them at increased risk. - Women are disproportionately affected — roughly 80% of those with osteoporosis in the U.S.
are women. - 1 in 2 women over age 50 will experience an osteoporosis-related fracture in their lifetime. (For
context, that’s higher than the combined risk of breast cancer, ovarian cancer, and uterine
cancer.)
Risk factors include: family history, small frame, low calcium or vitamin D intake, smoking, excessive alcohol use, sedentary lifestyle, and early menopause. BUT FEAR NOT! The encouraging news? Bone density loss is something that we can not only prevent but reverse — and it’s never too early or too late to start.
💪 WHERE STRENGTH TRAINING COMES IN
Bones, like muscles, respond to stress. When you strength train, the force your muscles exert on your bones sends a signal that says: “We need to be stronger here.” In response, your body increases bone density in those areas. It’s called bone remodeling, and it’s one of the most powerful tools we have (side note: the human body is SO cool!)
Here’s what the research supports:
- Weight-bearing and resistance exercises are among the most effective ways to build and
maintain bone density. - Strength training has been shown to reduce bone loss in postmenopausal women — and in
some cases, actually increase density. - It also improves muscle strength, balance, and coordination, which dramatically reduces fall
risk — one of the biggest contributors to fractures.
You don’t need to lift heavy right away, but you do need to implement progressive overload – the
5 and 10lb weights won’t cut it forever. In order to continue to maintain and build bone density,
the loads need to increase over time – bands and bodyweight will only get you so far.
If you have concerns about your bone health or a family history of osteoporosis, it’s worth talking to your doctor about a DEXA scan (a simple, painless bone density test). Want to read more? Check out the following websites for high quality information on osteoporosis:
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/4443-osteoporosis
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/osteoporosis/symptoms-causes/syc-20351968
https://www.niams.nih.gov/health-topics/osteoporosis
And if you want some help from the pros, come see us at SSP – we’d love to chat with you 🙂