For most of you reading this, the ideal time to start thinking about protecting and building your bones has passed. Our bones were in max building potential back when we were teenagers and young adults and our peak bone density happened around age 25. At that point, we were making bone much faster than we were breaking it down.

Now that we are in perimenopause or post-menopause, we are in an uphill battle. Once our estrogen levels plummet, we break down bone faster than we make it. Now the trick is to try to slow the breakdown as much as possible so that we avoid getting into a bone density range of osteopenia or osteoporosis.

What does this mean?

Osteopenia and osteoporosis are terms given to varying levels of bone density. The most common way to find out your bone density is with a DXA scan (dual X-ray absorptiometry). This scan gives information about your current bone density and compares it to the bone density of a healthy young adult. The score you get is called a T-score. If your bone density is -1.0 to -2.5 standard deviations below the average healthy adult, you will be placed in the osteopenia category. If your bone density is more than -2.5 standard deviations below the average, you will likely be diagnosed with osteoporosis.

What can you do now?

First, if you believe you are in a high-risk group for developing osteoporosis, advocate for a DXA scan. Currently, guidelines recommend getting this test at age 65, but for many women, this is long past when lifestyle changes could have significantly changed their bone loss. Get a baseline and know what you are dealing with.

Second, know that bones “grow stronger” in relation to the forces put through them. This means we must put weight through our bones to keep them strong. While a daily walk is good for your leg and hip bones, it does nothing for your arm bones. Weight training, i.e.lifting, is the absolute best way for all of us to build bone and keep the bone we have.

Third, another area we need to improve in order to keep our bones healthy is our nutrition. What we put into our bodies (or diet out of our bodies) directly impacts whether we are making bone or speeding up the breakdown. We need sufficient protein, calcium, Vitamin D and other essential minerals. If you are trying to lose weight, make sure your diet isn’t having a negative effect on your bones.

Finally, some common medications we take may be speeding up our bone loss. These include corticosteroids such as prednisone, proton pump inhibitors, cancer drugs, and thyroid medications. Be sure to find out what medications you are taking and talk to your physician about the pros and cons of the medication in relation to your bone status.

If you would like to start building bone with weight training, but do not want to go to a gym and you don’t know where to start, join my next Strong Women, Strong Bones Jumpstart. I offer them 4X a year.

For more information and ongoing support, join my Free Facebook Group: Osteoporosis and Osteopenia Exercise Support.

Andrea Trombley PT, DPT