Tag: Osteoporosis;

Shirley Jorgenson of St. Louis celebrated a major health win this year: a 2% increase in her bone density, which she achieved WITHOUT prescription medication.

The news came just 2 years after her doctor initially diagnosed her with osteopenia, a precursor to osteoporosis.

The secret to her success? Once-a-week strength training at 20 Minutes to Fitness, along with over-the-counter calcium supplements.

“After weekly workouts with Cathy at 20 Minutes to Fitness, it was confirmed to me that this workout produces results,” said Joregenson. “My doctor told me, keep doing what you’re doing!”

Joregenson’s results confirm what research from Harvard Medical School and others has said all along: strong muscles lead to strong bones.

Most of us know that weight-bearing and resistance exercises build muscle mass and strength, but few understand what’s happening inside of our bones. Like muscles, our bones are living tissue that require exercise to become stronger, and numerous studies support that strength training plays a crucial role in slowing bone loss.

According to a Harvard Medical School Special Health Report, “Activities that put stress on bones can nudge bone-forming cells into action–the result is stronger, denser bones.” Strong bones can help minimize the risk of fracture due to osteoporosis.

After the age of 30, we lose more bone mass than we gain. A combination of age, sedentary lifestyles and poor nutrition deplete bone mass, leaving us fragile and at-risk for fracture. Harvard Medical School reports that an estimated 8 million women and 2 million men in the United States now have osteoporosis.  As the number of people with osteoporosis rises, so does the number of osteoporosis-related fractures.

These numbers point to an epidemic that requires life-long intervention. Once-a-week strength training at 20 Minutes to Fitness is just that.  Performed under the watchful eye of a physical therapist or personal trainer, workouts are safe for all ages — including people in their 80s and 90s.

Our medically based, load-bearing workouts help prevent osteoporosis by reducing bone loss and increasing bone density. Offsetting age-related decline in bone mass encourages power and balance and enhances strength and stability. They provide a host of other health benefits as well.

The proof is in our results.  Just ask Shirley.

To schedule a free consultation and first workout, find a location near you at 20MinutesToFitness.com

A New York Times report looks at the impact of muscle loss as we age — and how to rebuild it.

If you are a woman over age 50, this NYT article may be the most important article you read all month. It explains the impact of muscle loss on functional decline. The good news is, the article reports, it is possible to regain lost muscle mass through strength training. And 20 Minutes to Fitness can help — no matter how old or out of shape you may think you are!

Some excerpts on muscle loss:

“I, like many people past 50, have a condition called sarcopenia — a decline in skeletal muscle with age. It begins as early as age 40 and, without intervention, gets increasingly worse, with as much as half of muscle mass lost by age 70.”

“As Dr. Jeremy D. Walston, geriatrician at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, put it, “Sarcopenia is one of the most important causes of functional decline and loss of independence in older adults.”

“But — and this is a critically important “but” — no matter how old or out of shape you are, you can restore much of the strength you already lost. Dr. Moffat noted that research documenting the ability to reverse the losses of sarcopenia — even among nursing home residents in their 90s — has been in the medical literature for 30 years, and the time is long overdue to act on it.”

Read the entire New York Times article here.

20 Minutes to Fitness builds muscle strength

20 Minutes to Fitness has clients in their 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s. All have benefited from our safe, supervised strength training program.  Our workouts are performed one-on-one on MedX physical therapy equipment under the guidance of a personal coach.  Our staff includes physical therapists and PT assistants and other highly trained professionals.

As the NYT reports, “Proper technique is critical to getting the desired results without incurring an injury.”  Contact us today about a free consultation and workout.

Sue Matlof

“My bone density had been decreasing, and I decided I had to add strength-training to my exercise. After 14 years, I keep coming because it’s fun, and I can do a lot for my health in just 20 minutes.”

Sue Matlof 14-year client of 20 Minutes to Fitness St. Louis

Worried about osteoporosis? Then you should read what 20 Minutes to Fitness client Dorothy Menetre has to say!

I came to 20 Minutes to Fitness because I was bored with the routine of a “regular” gym. It had become monotonous, and I was totally “burned out.”

I enjoy the fact that I can now do 20 minutes, once a week, and I am finished. The benefit I was not expecting is that a recent bone density scan showed a slight improvement in my bone density over the past two years. That is really exciting for me, and it will keep me returning for my 20 minutes.

Thanks very much, 20 Minutes to Fitness!

Dorothy Menetre
St. Louis, Missouri

A new book that looks at the latest research on strength training comes to a simple conclusion:  “strength training is highly valuable for treating a dozen major chronic conditions – including cancer, diabetes, HIV/AIDS, Parkinson’s, and depression and anxiety.”

So says Joseph T. Ciccolo, co-editor of the new book, Resistance Training for the Prevention and Treatment of Chronic Disease (Taylor and Francis Group).

Read more here.

Watch how this 67-year-old woman (yes, she really is 67) improved her bone density by as much as 20% — AFTER she stopped taking medication. All it took was our ONCE-A-WEEK, 20-minute strength training program.  You can watch it by clicking right here.

Worried about Osteoporosis?

Tune in to Show Me St. Louis on Monday, Jan. 13 at 10 am. That’s Channel 5 in St. Louis. You’ll meet a physical therapist from our Chesterfield studio named Jamie Boswell, along with a long-time 20 Minutes to Fitness client who saw her bone density increase by 10 and 20 percent over a two-year period — AFTER she stopped taking medicine to prevent osteoporosis.

Hey, but building bone density is just ONE of the many benefits of our strength-training regimen. Watch Show Me St. Louis if you want to learn others. Or, just visit our website: www.20MinutesToFitness.com