I recently had a client who was diagnosed with Osteopenia – this is the precursor to the more severe Osteoporosis, and is a big sign that your bone health needs some attention.
Osteoporosis is a condition characterised by weakened bones (think ‘Aero’ bones, not ‘Wispa’ bones), increasing the risk of fractures.
In the UK, over 2 million women are affected by osteoporosis, with the prevalence rising from approximately 2% at age 50 to nearly 50% by age 80.
It’s often called the ‘silent disease’ because often there are no symptoms until you fall and fracture a bone. The bones then become increasingly fragile, so any knocks or falls can become serious and can require hospital attention.
There’s a really hideous statistic that if you fracture your hip, and you’re over the age of 65, one third are dead within a year!
(Here’s the study if you don’t believe me)
It also affects your posture – you lose height, become stooped, you can experience back pain and it’s irreversible!
The best thing to do is avoid getting it in the first place. With bone health, one ounce of prevention is worth 50 pounds of cure (well, there just isn’t one!).
Back to my client – who hadn’t been told that weight training is THE number one way to protect your bones!!
Your bones need to be challenged to keep on rebuilding themselves, the way you challenge them is by lifting weights to strengthen the muscles which then pull on the bones.
‘Engaging in weightlifting is a key strategy for maintaining and improving bone density. When you lift weights, the stress placed on your bones stimulates bone-forming cells, leading to increased bone strength. This process is crucial for preventing the bone loss associated with osteoporosis. ‘
Harvard Health
Here’s 5 Strategies to Help Prevent Osteoporosis
1. Regular Weightlifting
Incorporate strength training exercises into your routine at least two to three times per week. Focus on major muscle groups to maximise bone-strengthening benefits.
2. Weight-Bearing Activities
Activities such as walking, jogging, or dancing. These exercises force you to work against gravity, stimulating bone growth and strength.
3. Balanced Nutrition
Ensure your diet includes adequate calcium and vitamin D, essential nutrients for bone health. Dairy products, leafy greens, and fortified foods are excellent sources.
4. Limit Alcohol and Avoid Smoking
Excessive alcohol consumption and smoking can accelerate bone loss. Limiting these habits supports bone health and reduces osteoporosis risk.
5. If In Doubt – Get Screened
Especially for individuals over 50 or with risk factors, regular screenings can detect early signs of bone loss, allowing for timely intervention.
Of course, I teach a regular kettlebell class on a Saturday morning at 9:30am.
And/or you can join my free ‘Seven Days of Strength’ training program, everyday I’ll send you a new exercise for 7 days – I’ll show you the correct technique and how to go from beginner to heavy.
Honestly, once you start proper weight training – it’s addictive. I can’t do without my weekly (sometimes daily) fix of the iron!
Here’s the link if you want to sign up for it.
Menopower® -The Art and Science of a Healthy Menopause
Sunday 2nd March, at my studio in Langley Park
Prepare yourself, arm yourself with knowledge, breath, chill and have a lush day out. I’ll also show you how to lift properly!
I’ve tweaked the price on the website.
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If it sounds like something you need in your life!
Earlybird ends 8th Feb.
Classes
All classes are going great atm! I’m loving having everyone back. And, we’ve been focusing on the deep core and pelvic floor work in January – the foundations of our strength. It’s been great! Going to continue into Feb.
Plus, my beginners program is going grand too – I’m getting lovely feedback. Pilates really is life changing! I know I talk about weight lifting – but I do Pilates to enable me to lift weights better!
Pilates is the gateway to strength.
Class Library
I’m going to set up on my website a ‘library’ of classes that you will be able to buy as one-off’s. So watch this space for that. This will be great for you if you can’t make regular classes or if you’re off on holiday and still want to practice.
Of course, I also have my ‘Core Club’ which at £20 is absolute great value – you get 4 x full class recordings each month (2 x Pilates and 2 x kettlebell).
Here’s the link to sign up to the monthly subscription, you can cancel anytime.
https://buy.stripe.com/5kA6qv1atfYFdO0dQR
That’s all for the moment. See you on the mat!
Jill x
PS
If you’ve enjoyed classes, programs or events either online or in my studio. Can you please leave me a 5* review? It really helps people to find me, and that’s what helps me keep my studio open!
Here’s the link to leave review
Much appreciated!
