It’s back-to-strength-training-school!–Monday, Sept. 9th to October 24th 7-week, 14-hour session Mondays & Thursdays 9:00 AM Class ONLY! Fee options: Whole Session “Economy” Rate: $98 for the 14 class hours Punch Pass option: $100 for 10 hours of class which can be used at anytime during the year Drop-in rate: $12 per hour Thanks for coming… Continue Reading
Overtraining? You mean we can get too much exercise? Yes! I often feel like a cheerleader for incorporating regular safe movement and exercise into your daily schedule to prevent fractures, osteoporosis and low bone density (osteopenia). Have fun with it! Move safely! Vary your routine! Make it social! Sometimes, however, I need to suggest that… Continue Reading
Keeping a strong body with strong bones in the midst of a busy life can be a scheduling challenge! Awhile back, I switched from teaching my Safe Strength Training for Osteoporosis Prevention classes from three days a week to two days. My class participants and clients are generally between the age of 50 and 75. Many of us weren’t feeling fully recovered with only 48 hours between our hour-long, vigorous workouts. Read more about how 72 hours seemed to do the trick.
In a progressive resistance/strength training program, fully recovered muscles grow stronger after each workout. Those stronger skeletal muscles, all of which are attached to bone, then pull harder on your bones during movement, stimulating them to slow down bone loss and possibly even grow stronger.
Other research supports twice-weekly strength training as optimal for those in the over-fifty age group. That schedule provides plenty of time for other aerobic, heart-healthy types of activities. I love to see the recent research which helps us piece together the puzzle of what constitutes, “The Illusive Optimal Fitness Routine.”
Rest assured, many varied paths can lead to good, overall fitness. Continue Reading
Research on weighted vests has shown promising results for osteoporosis prevention. It’s another strength training tool to increase muscle strength which stimulates the development of bone strength. If you have health issues or bone loss, work with a physical therapist or other qualified health professional before using a weighted vest or belt to make sure that you can move safely while wearing it. Tips when wearing a weighted vest:
Just how tight everything gets depends a lot on genetics, skin tone, and body composition (fat to lean body mass ratio). Yes! You can achieve a very, very strong, body. The point is to strengthen your muscles, building a nice solid base underneath your skin. It does make a visible difference. But, honestly? We need to work with what we can control, our exercise and healthy diet, and let go of the unrealistic expectation that gravity and years won’t have an effect on our skin. Our bodies work and they’re beautiful!
My advice? Go for health. Don’t be too hard on yourself, do your strength training regularly, read Younger Next Year for Women, and have fun being active!! ….and keep your arm muscles flexed when you wave! 🙂 Continue Reading
Are you making your New Year’s Resolutions for Exercise? If you’re joining a class that isn’t specifically for those with bone loss, be sure to advocate for yourself. Let your instructor know the movements that you need to avoid of high impact, forward bending, and twisting to the point of strain, especially quickly. Keep excellent posture and frequently check your form in the mirror. Continue Reading
Choosing the right equipment for strength training for osteoporosis and osteopenia prevention is important! Here are a few clips from my DVD on equipment selection….I like to see women over-fifty start with sets of one to five pound dumbbells because it’s safer to increase the intensity of strength training in one pound increments. You can purchase heavier weights as you get stronger….Ankle or Leg Weights: Whichever kind you choose, be sure to get the adjustable kind. If holding dumbbells is uncomfortable for your hands because of arthritis, you can either try using your ankle weights or get some adjustable wrist weights. Often, friends and relatives have unused strength training equipment, so ask around! You’ll also see dumbbells in second hand stores. You’ll get great use of this equipment to slow down bone loss. All of it should last a lifetime and more! Continue Reading
Sometimes we can do everything “right”, but might unknowingly have a genetic predisposition to osteoporosis or maybe we never even reached a high peak bone mass by age 30. But, it’s possible to help strengthen your bones with lifestyle modifications that you CAN do something about right now such as weight-bearing exercise, strength training, and a calcium & Vitamin D rich diet! Cheryl was amazed to hear that hip fractures kill more women each year than breast cancer. Continue Reading
I recently had the opportunity to speak about bone density with a physician who has been an osteoporosis researcher for most of his life. He said, “We used to think that if we could only know a person’s bone density, we could solve all of our problems. Didn’t turn out that way.” He emphasized that… Continue Reading
For years, I have wanted to make a short YouTube video showing exercises to avoid if you have low bone density (osteopenia) or osteoporosis. I pulled a clip on safety out of my recent video, Safe Strength Training for Osteoporosis Prevention and it’s now on YouTube. Check it out!
The basic moves that you should avoid with any low bone density or osteoporosis are:
Don’t bend forward at the waist.
Don’t twist to the point of strain.
Don’t twist AND bend forward from the waist.
Instead, hinge from the hips when you need to bend down, using your legs and knees for support, not your back.
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