If you follow me on social media, you know that I like to post little videos of myself lifting weights in the gym (this is a screenshot from one of those videos, sorry it’s a little blurry). It’s a great form of exercise, especially for those of us who are getting up there in the decades. If you want to deadlift like I do, be sure to do it under the supervision of a professional – we don’t want to hurt ourselves trying to get healthier.

I often get the most interesting comments on YouTube – people seem flabbergasted at the full-sized bumper plates that I use (I wonder where they lift that they have never seen them before? Clearly not at a gym that caters to serious lifters!). I also get the funniest unsolicited advice, and the latest one reminded me that it’s been a while since I talked about bone density.

The person told me that it was a waste of time to deadlift, and that I should just concentrate on exercises that would make my muscles stronger. There’s no question that strong muscles are important for good health, but the actual weight itself is crucial for maintaining bone density and preventing osteoporosis. As we get older and more at risk of falling, this becomes even more important. Nobody wants to end up in the ER with a broken bone after a fall, especially given how overburdened most provincial health care systems are nowadays.

You don’t have to lift weights to protect your bones – I just happen to enjoy it a lot, so I do it. But walking, running or dancing will do the job for you as well. The important thing is to make your bones have to work against gravity. Too much sitting or lying down can cause them to weaken – the same thing can happen to astronauts who have spent a lot of time in low or zero gravity situations. If you have mobility issues, there are many resources out there for exercises that are safe to do and will help maintain your bones.

Of course, there are other lifestyle issues that can contribute to bones becoming fragile – smoking, for example, or a lack of nutrition – either not eating healthy foods (which can be an issue in this economy), or not extracting the nutrients from them properly, due to digestive issues. The latter has certainly been a problem for me during flare ups of my autoimmune disease, so if you find that you are not digesting your food properly, be sure to talk to a medical professional. Supplementation may be required – calcium and vitamin D, especially in the northern winter, and maybe extra protein. I like using protein shakes myself, because they are easy and nutritious. 

If you happen to inhabit a postmenopausal female body, as I do, there are extra considerations with regards to maintaining bone density. There are herbal supplements, such as Black Cohosh, Quai Dong or Chasteberry, which can help us utilise what little estrogen we still have, and if that isn’t enough, sometimes hormone supplementation may be advised. Talk to your medical professional.

Let’s make no bones about it (sorry), it’s important to do what we can to maintain our bone density and avoid fragility as long as we can. There are ways to do this even with mobility challenges, so if you can’t walk, run or lift – you can still keep yourself as healthy as possible. It’s the only body you have – it deserves the best!

I’d love to know what you do to maintain healthy bones – let me know!