Number ten in a series about what clients have to say about their workouts.
I have had two women (aged 51 and 56) with osteopenia start strength training on the recommendation of their doctors. Both were told to strength train for six months and then have their bone density retested to see if there was an improvement. In both instances their bone density increased, and their doctors told them it would not be necessary to start a drug treatment.
A treatment, while not a cure, can have varying degrees of success. A treatment can slow the deterioration process, prevent the condition from getting worse, or it can reverse that deterioration process. With both these women they were able to reverse their bone losses. Hopefully that continues far into the future, but there are no guarantees.
There is presently no cure for osteopenia. There are two treatments often mentioned – exercise and osteoporosis drugs. When comparing the side-effects of the two treatments exercise is clearly a much better choice.
The exercise protocol used by the personal trainers at Austin Personal Training and New Orleans Fitness Trainers was derived from a study working with osteoporosis patients. Researchers found that joints hurt less, bone density increased and muscles were stronger and more toned with minimal time exercising. It has been shown effective for men and women of all ages.
Previous blog entries in the series What Clients Are Saying:
1. @#%& incredible
2. Seems too good to be true, but it actually is that good
3. After each session, I always felt better on all levels.
4. This would not have happened to me if I had a personal trainer
5. This affects all aspects of my life.
6. I saw a remarkable change in my body
7. A Radical Transformation
8. I don’t think I would be alive today
9. Amazing and remarkable
Previous blogs posted on the subject of bone loss and exercise:
1. Are bone loss drugs a good idea for those with osteopenia?
2. The under appreciated role of muscle in health and disease
3. High-intensity strength training effective for osteoporotic fractures
4. High intensity strength training preserves bone density