I think this also depends on the severity of osteoporosis. The idea is that you could fracture bending over too far. With severe osteoporosis, coughing and even hugging people can cause fractures.
It seems like the issue is that you can sustain micro breaks when you do things that round the spine. I stopped doing Pilates or positions like plow, because you shouldn’t roll up from laying down. I do a lot of backbends on a yoga ball. My cat-cows are cow only. I sit on the yoga ball while watching tv, and I have light weights nearby - I pick them up & do overhead presses every so often. The other thing I try to keep in mind is to pick things up and take my shoes on/off (and tie them) by kneeling down rather than bending over. So much to think about!
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I also count out my prunes in the morning and eat them through the day. I need to leave out healthy tidbits for myself anyway – otherwise I’ll succumb and munch on not-so-healthy stuff.
(I have to hide the treats from myself – if I left a box of girl scout cookies out in plain view, it would last about 10 seconds.)
The only “warning” about yoga is that there is a higher fracture risk for any type of activity where your spine is rolled forward – this is because the bone on the inside of the vertebrae is softer than the bone on the outside. So you are more likely to sustain microfractures doing something that rounds the spine forward. (not so much a problem with a rolling back like a gentle backbend – bridge pose is fine - but of course we all want to avoid extreme moves.) So for example, I don’t do the “cow” part of cat cow – I already had a modification that a yoga teacher trained in viniyoga taught me years ago. See Cakravakasana: the “Un” Cat-Cow | Tracy Weber – Whole Life Blog
I’ve had a couple of other yoga teachers tell me that most of us spend far too much time with our spines hunched or curled forward anyway, so our bodies don’t really need more of that.
But the main thing is moderation and taking it slowly. I’m not going to do anything like shoulder stands or plough these days either, and pigeon pose kills my knees anyway, never mind the spine.
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Yes, but once we know we have osteoporosis, even if mild, it’s a good thing to think about changing habits – like squatting to pick things up rather than bending over. It’s not that I’m going to break my back unloading the dishwasher this week or this month – but I can form new habits abut the way I move when I am doing that task. (And yeah, my knees aren’t all that fond of squats either – but the point is that the habits I form in my 60’s might be what gets me safely through my 70’s.)
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It is usually recommended generally to squat rather than bend over (if possible) to pick up heavy things to reduce strain on the back, even if you do not have osteoporosis.
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I am learning new things every day.
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Yes, but the squatting vs. bending was just one example – there are others. One problem with osteoporosis is that a person can easily sustain a fracture to a vertebra or rib with a movement that would not ordinarily be expected to cause a break. So whereas in the past I might have been concerned about a pulled muscle, now I know I have to think about the possibility of breaking bones. No matter what the bone scan says, I’m not fragile now, I’ve never broken any bone, and my doctor hasn’t restricted my exercise in any way. But I am now aware of things I never used to even think about.
I’m not sure if Barbie Taylor (“Menopause Barbie”) has ever been discussed here. She is a wealth of information. She has about a 30 video series on bone health, osteopenia and osteoporosis on youtube. The series begins with #196. I’m not sure if I’m allowed to post the link but you can search for it there.
I had my first bone scan a year ago and was diagnosed with osteopenia. I had started HRT just one or two months earlier but I’m hopeful it is helping. This thread reminded me that one of my new year’s resolutions was to be more diligent with my supplements and weight bearing/balance exercises. I need to focus on both.
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This is a good point - my docs have never restricted my exercise either - I mean, running could be considered a risk (falling). She did at one time give me a script to see a PT if desired for balance suggestions but I declined.
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I decided on my own to go for low-impact exercising – basically, I avoid jumping. This is partly due to osteoporosis, but also because of my knees & my boobs. I can do a little bit of slow jogging or hopping, but anything sustained is just too uncomfortable.
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It is a running joke in my yoga class that I don’t hop. My teacher thinks it is very funny (he is a young 30 something guy.)
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Just got diagnosed (-2.5 in spine). This thread has been really helpful! Doc said if I were his wife he’d def put me on meds, but that if I wanted instead I could go a year until next Dexascan to see if there was decline. In the interim would just use weightlifting, running, yoga, etc. Motivation to do all of those, now!!!
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Welcome to the club - which I assume is a big club, because we all lose bone density as we age (some of us just lose it faster than others). Be sure to do your research and make the decision that is best for YOU.
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-2.5 is right on the line. Again, I have been over the line for 14 years, no meds, no fractures. I wanted meds but cannot tolerate them. Keith McCormick’s book is very helpful for folks who are in very early osteoporosis.
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I can’t say enough about serious weight training.
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My mother had osteoporosis, so I have concerns about that in my future. @VeryHappy - what kind of “serious weight training” do you do?
I’ve been working out for about 16 years. At this point, I lift 20-lb weights with one arm and, when I can go to the gym (I haven’t been in several months), I use a 40-lb barbell with two hands. One thing I see that irritates me at the gym is women using little teeny tiny weights – 2- and 3-pounders. IMO, one should start with 5-pounders and, as it becomes easier, move up from that. At most gyms, they will have weights in 5, 8, 10, 12, and 15 pounds. If you can capably handle one weight, try the next one up and see if you can handle it. Your bones only get stronger if they are stressed.
And, you have to do it frequently and regularly. I go every other day. It can’t be just an occasional thing. You need to take it seriously and commit. It’s a lifestyle.
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I had my 2-year DEXA scan yesterday and news was not good. My bone density in my spine has actually improved slightly (but I think within the margin of error so it might not be significant - T-Score was 2.9 and now is 2.7) – but my femur scan showed bone loss that put me over the line (from a T-Score of 2.3 to 2.6). I’ll talk to my doctor later this month— but I went back to the gym today for the first time in forever. My plan after my last bone scan had been to do weight training & resistance work to build bone strength – and doing squats at home or using a resistence band is just NOT the same as the leg press at the gym. So I honestly don’t know what would have happened if I had continued my workouts through 2020.
I’m hoping my doctor doesn’t press medication now. I’m thinking I’d like to return to my exercise routine and schedule the next DEXA scan one year out, and see what the numbers show then. It is definitely concerning to see bone density declining – but I really just want to give the exercise plan a fair shake. And the Covid-isolation really messed that up.
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A few years before I had osteoporosis at all, I feel on ice and fractured my spine in two places. I am unable to do weight training. So all these years of osteoporosis, I have not been able to do any weight training. I do Tai Chi which builds strength and balance. Otherwise I think my fractures prevent me from doing things that might actually cause a fracture, so are helpful paradoxically (can’t open windows either!).
Bone density scans don’t really give a yes or no answer to the state of our bones. I mean, it is a spectrum. Scores like -2.6 or -2.7 are barely over the line, and the line is kind of an artificial one in some ways anyway. Another factor is quality of bone.
I forget- did I read an article that said weight-bearing exercise actually didn’t help? I have a dim memory. I’ll try to check it out.
Fall prevention is really important.
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Yea, fall prevention seems important. So your training for strength and balance would be good.
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