I have plenty of food this week, so I wanted to talk about something that is important for all of us to remember. As we age, we know that our bodies change. Things break down. Some things more quickly than others. Osteoporosis is one of those things that creeps up on us. When it’s identified, we wonder why it happened and if we could have done anything to prevent it.

What is osteoporosis? According to the Mayo Clinic:

Osteoporosis causes bones to become weak and brittle — so brittle that a fall or even mild stresses such as bending over or coughing can cause a break. Osteoporosis-related breaks most commonly occur in the hip, wrist or spine.

Typically, osteoporosis is diagnosed through a bone scan. Both men and women can have it. However, it’s more common in women after menopause. You get it by aging. As our hormones decrease, our risk increases. Is there anything you can do to prevent it? Of course!

According to Jeon, Harrison, Stanforth, & Griffin (2021):

Weightlifters have greater BMD [bone mass density] at most skeletal sites than athletes in different sports, such as orienteering, cycling, and cross-country skiing. For example, significantly greater BMD at the lumbar spine, dual femur, and total body were observed in female individuals who engaged in competitive lifting for more than 30 years compared with their age- and gender-matched groups

That’s right. Lifting weights has a protective effect on bone density. Let’s say you already have osteoporosis. According to Perez, et al. (2021):

Muscle strengthening exercise in postmenopausal women with OP [osteoporosis] produces favorable results in terms of bone mineral density, strength, functionality, and quality of life. However, the benefits produced can be increased when combined with other therapeutic exercise modalities such as aerobic, balance and coordination.

With all of this information, why aren’t women doing more weightlifting? It’s improved over time, but women are still making excuses as to why they can’t lift. They are all BS.

• No, you won’t get too big. We don’t have enough testosterone to do that.
• No, you won’t look like a bodybuilder without spending hours in the gym lifting really heavy, like hundreds of pounds.
• No, you won’t lose your femininity because you don’t take steroids.
• No, you won’t be more likely to get injured. Actually, weightlifting can help prevent them.

I am not worried about osteoporosis because I run and lift. I lift heavy, like with 50 pound dumbbells, and have only gotten smaller and more defined. I don’t have the time for bodybuilding. Ladies, you need to get over your fear of weightlifting. It doesn’t make you a man, but a strong and fierce woman. Who wouldn’t like that?