Dem bones - the big O, no not That o

[mimitabby]

A couple weeks ago my doctor told me that the bone on my hips was very close to being frail enough to be in the osteoporosis zone... Still osteopenia but JUST barely.
She told me to take vitamins, 1200 calcium, 500 vit d, b vitamins and boron.
Calcium Citrate is the best calcium, but i digress.
She also told me i have to do weight bearing exercise.
I started 20 minutes of going up and down stairs every day that i am at work.
10 minutes twice a day. I was already walking a mile a day.

Today I went to the company gym for the first time. it costs 25 dollars a month and they have everything except a pool.
A nice 20 something taught me how to do 4 exercises with bar-bells (including bicep curls) and one with a ball.

Unfortunately the gym is 95% men. That's 30 men and me. UGH! when I was in my 30's it was bad enough, but now i'm 55 and it's much worse.
hopefully the times i will be going it won't be too crowded.

So here I go on the exercise program.

She said "DON'T stop riding your bike!"

[IFjane]

Mimi - I had the same situation a few years ago - joining a gym and finding that there were no other women.

This year I bought the Graeme Street Cyclo Core & Cyclo Zen DVD's & am using his exercises. Some include hand weights (I'm using 10 lb. ones) & the ball. Others are just using your own body weight.

If the gym gets too uncomfortable for you maybe you could try something like that?

Good luck! -jane

[IFjane]

Addendum:

some of his workouts are BRUTAL so I'm not doing all of them....

[mimitabby]

I'll try the gym for a bit for the free consultations... and I'm paid for a month now.

[chickwhorips]

good luck mimi. try not to think of them while your there. most everyone is worried about how they look and not you.

glad she said to keep riding!

[ClockworkOrange]

Coooooooo Mimi, don't jump up and down too much, 'cos you might just rattle!

Just keep taking the tablets............and riding that bike. Yup, getting older can be a real bummer, your not alone kiddo.




Sally

[spokewench]

Unfortunately the gym is 95% men. That's 30 men and me. UGH! when I was in my 30's it was bad enough, but now i'm 55 and it's much worse.
hopefully the times i will be going it won't be too crowded.

So here I go on the exercise program.

She said "DON'T stop riding your bike!"

Mimi: Look on the bright side. Are any of the guys good looking? Sometimes it's just fun looking! And, maybe, once you strike up a conversation, the guys will adopt you and make you their special project. Long time ago, I worked out in that sort of gym, and after a little chatting up, the boys were more than helpful.

[mimitabby]

Mimi: Look on the bright side. Are any of the guys good looking? Sometimes it's just fun looking! And, maybe, once you strike up a conversation, the guys will adopt you and make you their special project. Long time ago, I worked out in that sort of gym, and after a little chatting up, the boys were more than helpful.

Spoke,
i think thats more true when you and the guys are the same age... but i'm 55!!

some of them could call me granny!!


but i'll try. today i'm going for the first time.

[hellosunshine]

my T score,whatever that is is -2.9 so theyve put me on the pill too,thats meant to help,im nearly 40.ive done weight for the last 3years,but more so and im always running up and down the stairs,think i walk the dog 1hr 20 a day too.loadsa milk etc etc..i believe its a condition we can HALT,this is good news.

[Brandi]

Mimitabby- If the gym doesn't work out for you we have something called curves here in our town. It is just for women. Just a suggestion.
A couple years ago my chiro said I could get ostioarthritis in my neck. Is that anything like what you guys are talking about. Or should I say are these things linked? Should I do a bone test or is this something different. I don't have a mom I can ask. Well I have a mother in law but she doesn't know.

[mimitabby]

Mimitabby- If the gym doesn't work out for you we have something called curves here in our town. It is just for women. Just a suggestion.
A couple years ago my chiro said I could get ostioarthritis in my neck. Is that anything like what you guys are talking about. Or should I say are these things linked? Should I do a bone test or is this something different. I don't have a mom I can ask. Well I have a mother in law but she doesn't know.

No, Brandi, Osteoarthritis is not the same as Osteoporosis.
Osteoarthritis has more to do with swelling and irritation where bones are not quite perfectly aligned due to injury or posture or repetition stress stuff.
Osteoporosis is a gradual thinning and weakening of the insides of the bone
due to some combination of genetics, diet, and activity levels.

[mudmucker]

I do have a general question on prevention.

I will be 47 this year. I have not reached the big M yet - I am still very regular but in the last couple of years, intermittently, I have had a few unusual months. Likely my body is beginning to react to an impending change. All my life, I have been athletic and fairly fit so there has been weight bearing stuff present. However in the last 5 years or so I have made a particularly greater and conscious effort to incorporate more weight bearing exercise (some lifting and some weekly running), and to consume more calcium in order to ward off the big O. I am doing this for good practice, maintenance and hopefully future prevention.

My question is for those of you who are a little ahead of me on this journey and have had more dialog with doctors; does my conscious effort to do weight bearing now, matter that much in terms of future loss once the estrogen levels get really low? I sense that it helps now, because I haven't gone through menopause yet and I still have cycles. But later? Does bone loss just begin to occur at a more rapid and uncontrollable rate after menopause and there's not much I can do to stop it other than medications or how I am genetically? Or can the weight bearing help after menopause in an attempt to slow everything down.

after losing 4% of my bone mass since 2004

Yikes!

[mimitabby]

I do have a general question on prevention.

I will be 47 this year. I have not reached the big M yet - I am still very regular but in the last couple of years, intermittently, I have had a few unusual months. Likely my body is beginning to react to an impending change. All my life, I have been athletic and fairly fit so there has been weight bearing stuff present. However in the last 5 years or so I have made a particularly greater and conscious effort to incorporate more weight bearing exercise (some lifting and some weekly running), and to consume more calcium in order to ward off the big O. I am doing this for good practice, maintenance and hopefully future prevention.

My question is for those of you who are a little ahead of me on this journey and have had more dialog with doctors; does my conscious effort to do weight bearing now, matter that much in terms of future loss once the estrogen levels get really low? I sense that it helps now, because I haven't gone through menopause yet and I still have cycles. But later? Does bone loss just begin to occur at a more rapid and uncontrollable rate after menopause and there's not much I can do to stop it other than medications or how I am genetically? Or can the weight bearing help after menopause in an attempt to slow everything down.

after losing 4% of my bone mass since 2004

Yikes!

YES. build bone now, while you still have estrogen. Bone is always coming or going, depending on what you're doing. It just goes away faster after you don't have the estrogen in your system. but do make sure you're taking enough calcium, vit D, the b vitamins and also BORON, just drinking milk isn't going to do it.
another trick, too much running will change the balance and cause you to lose bone. I think part of what is going on has to do with acid/alkalinity, i don't think they really understand yet. So everything in moderation