Building bone density to prevent or manage osteoporosis or osteopenia
Maintaining healthy bone density is essential for reducing the risk of osteoporosis and fractures. Osteoporosis is sometimes called a silent disease as often there are no obvious symptoms until a fracture occurs. Subtle signs however are a gradual loss of height, a more stooped posture, reduced strength and balance, reduced grip strength, spinal pain that was never there before with or without a clear mechanism of injury, and a slower recovery from more minor injuries.
We know that women experience earlier and more rapid bone loss than men, primarily because of the sharp decline in estrogen levels during the menopause transition. Men tend to lose bone density more slowly as they age because their testosterone and estrogen levels decline very gradually but will still get it.
Low bone density increases the risk of future fractures, especially of the spine (compression fractures), hip and wrist. And recovery after a fracture due to bone density loss is usually slower and comes with a reduction in confidence and independence.
The good news is that bone health can be strengthened at any stage in life.
Research shows that bone health can be supported through a combination of lifestyle choices—such as good nutrition (diet rich in vitamin D, calcium and healthy fats, limiting salt, sugar and processed foods), a particular form of weightbearing & impact exercise and resistance training to stimulate bone growth. Other lifestyle factors that are essential for optimising bone density are sleep and a healthy mind.
Important for all of this are periodic bone health assessments (like scans and blood tests)—along with medical treatments such as medication, supplementations, hormone therapy or infusions when needed. In other words, by taking the right steps, you can make a significant positive impact on your own bone density.
We begin your bone density journey with a comprehensive assessment of your lifestyle factors, dietary patterns, exercise habits, muscle strength, power, and balance. This assessment, combined with your bone scan and blood test results, helps us determine the best plan for you. You will meet with our team of specialists:
- Joyce, our physiotherapist, will assess your posture, joints, movement, balance, and strength and match this up with your bone density scans to determine what level of exercise is safe and achievable for you. She will also link you in with other specialties where this is required.
- Joel, our exercise physiologist, will design a safe, progressive exercise program to improve bone density and muscle power, based on Joyce’s assessment and Joel’s functional assessment.
- Jen, our dietitian, will review your nutrition and help you optimise your diet for bone health.
Once your plan is in place, we’ll guide you through our Bone Building Program. Long-term commitment is essential to achieve measurable improvements in bone density, but we’ll support you every step of the way. We design your program so it’s enjoyable and sustainable — whether you participate in our Bone Building Bootcamp, group classes, do your own exercises, or combine all three.