Maintaining bone density into older age

[Nooa]

How much strength training do I need to do? I want to maintain a reasonable level of bone density into old age, as osteoporosis runs in the family. I'm coming up to 40 and not likely to start menopause for at least 10 years (based on mother and aunties), but I want to get into a lifelong routine now while I still find it easy.

I currently do 2x 20min HIIT sessions per week - lunges, squats etc using bodyweight only. Also I cycle 10km twice a week on a hilly route. Do loads of walking up hilly terrain (which I know is not strength but just to say i have CV exercise covered).

Is that enough if I continue it? Or do I need to add weights, or do more frequent sessions? I'm after the bare minimum required to avoid snapping bones when I slip on ice 😁

Adjustable weights could be an option. I’ve been lifting for a couple of years now & can use several different weights in a session, not to mention lifting a lot heavier than when I started.

50g of prunes a day helps bones. Something to do with K2. Sounds bonkers but there are studies you can google.

HRT is very effective for primary osteoporosis prevention.

Yes HRT, lifting weights to build muscle to protect them, plenty calcium and stay a healthy weight with varied diet, not too thin. It’s usually people who have had eating disorders or don’t eat enough/very slim who get it as the body uses the bones as nourishment in desperate times.

Nobody knows, OP, it's all just guessing. Because unethical to do RCTs over 40 years & take the risk of terrible harm to non intervention group. Maybe the advice here is great & maybe it's not helpful at all. I would suggest ... keep your overall health as good as you can, then you have highest chances to maintain good mobility & lots activity & high Quality of Life.

I’ve got a pair of adjustable dumbbells which go up to 10kg each. I do Caroline Girvan workouts from her YouTube channel and the weights live behind the sofa when not in use. That’s all you need. You can get heavier weights if you want as you get stronger but you’d be fine with just an adjustable set

Thanks! That's the kind of thing I was googling yesterday, but failed to find! Especially interesting about the jumping.

Yes, I have always understood that it’s impact that builds bone density

Following! 52-yr-old woman here, and I must admit I haven't taken this seriously enough. My 80 yr old mum has osteoporosis and her experience is a wake up call. Am I too late to do anything to prevent this? I've just started going to the gym. I'm not overweight, am on HRT. Walk quite a bit, but other than that no formal exercise. Can I, or should I, get a bone scan from my GP? Is this possible? If I start an exercise regime now, is it too late?

Have you done a pelvic floor/ core fitness programme for prolapse? I would do that first before progressing to weights and jumping. I've done Mutu and found it great, but there are others out there too. Now I've done it I am certain my pelvic floor and core is strong enough to do lifting, and I am more connected with it so I can tell if what I'm doing is okay or not.

I was talking to my asthma nurse recently and she was asking if I used weights to make sure I was doing all I could.

I've been using weights for 15yrs. Most of mine are from aldi or decathlon. Heaviest is a 12kg kettlebell that I used for swings. I use 8kg for rows and deadlifts. 5kg for lunges and 3kg for anything over the head.

This all keeps me muscly and I generally look great in sleeveless tops.

We had a neighbour who died in her 90s..at her funeral it showed she had been swinging Indian skittles in her 40s. So yes I think women have always done something weighty!

I totally agree with @teentantrums

Strong Women stay Young is the best book ever with real science and data behind it. It’s not at all like most books out there.

Im post menopausal and I’ve had this book for years. It means I know exactly how to do what your post is asking. Doing it and keeping it up is another matter entirely.

Please get this book, it will answer all your questions and you can do it at home with just a minimum of equipment.

It’s main point - you need stronger muscles for bone health. Lots of reps with lower weights (often recommended by male gym trainers - well in my day they were) don’t work. You should use a weight that by the time you are getting to your 8th repetition feels like hard work. The author even goes into detail with a chart how each repition from 1 to eight should feel. That’s the sort of detail I like!

The other main takeaway, strong muscles and strong bones feed into all sorts of other benefits in health etc.

It also has data on much older women - including 70 plus year old no longer needing a Zimmer frame after using the exercise programme.

your GP isn't just going to request a DEXA scan because your elderly mum has osteoporosis.
I have osteopenia and have been refused treatment despite not being able to take HRT - the drugs are probably available privately, keep meaning to check

A private scan is not hugely expensive, around £125. As a one off baseline, it is an investment on health.

Unfortunately this is true about eating disorders. I had a dexa scan last year following breast cancer treatment and hormone therapy, I was horrified to find out I had borderline osteoporosis despite being "fit" all my life. I was underweight in my 20s and 30s due to the ED and I'm paying the price now.

I do a lot of weight training now, take calcium and vit D supplements (prescribed) and have a 6-monthly infusion to keep my bones strong.

Does a cross trainer help with bone density?

What infusion do you get?

I became very underweight very quickly, and then was breastfeeding for 3 years, and I've had a lot of issues since then. I was prescribed high strength Vit D and calcium tablets for a while. My teeth crumbled and I'm having severe issues with my jaw, spine and pelvis, but no longer have anything prescribed, so I'm looking into all of this myself. I have scoliosis, a fusion, and Ehlers Danlos, so that complicates things.

For those wondering whether to get a dexa scan, I would say definitely go for it. Your GP may not agree (although there is a tool on the Royal Osteoporosis Society website that you can use to see if you have any risk factors which may mean an nhs scan might be possible) but if not it's worth getting one privately. It's so much better to know where you are with bone health and tackle issues the earlier the better. I say this as someone who found out by chance I had near osteoporosis in my early 50s. It was a big shock but it enabled me to make lots of lifestyle changes that have kept my condition from worsening - in fact my scores have improved.

It's called Zometa, I have it as part of my ongoing BC treatment as apparently it can also prevent the cancer coming back into your bones. I have to go to the chemo ward every 6 months for it.

My oncologist said I could have it orally but it's "too polite" 😅

No, it doesn't.
There is no loading. When you walk, it is the impact of hitting the ground at every step putting bones and joints under stress. If bone stimulation happens, it would be minimal

That's terrible and I would push for one. I was diagnosed with osteopenia from a random x-ray for something else. I asked for a DEXA, booked with no questions from my GP. And I was sent for a repeat one only last month. There wasn't a long waiting list for getting one so I'd definitely push for one.

Like my mother, I am coeliac and have osteoporosis. She took alendronic acid for years, but when she was in her 70s, her spine was 'shot to pieces' as the consultant told her. Perhaps the drugs don't work for coeliacs.... I've bought a vibrating plate, hoping that the jiggling of my spine will strengthen my spine and hips.

It’s because prunes contain boron which is excellent for bone health.

I love prunes and also your username 💯🤩