Osteoporosis conjures up images of little old ladies hunched over with cute little canes.  But there’s nothing cute about it.  My first real slap-in-the-face experience with osteoporosis was when my 87 year old buddy, Elizabeth suffered a broken femur.  No, she did not fall.  The break was the result of nursing aides transferring Elizabeth from her bed to her chair so she could watch tv.  Wow.

I was 23 years old at the time and working as an exercise physiologist at an independent and assisted living facility.  It was a true education in osteoporosis—there’s nothing like real world experiences to teach you about life.

Scary Statistics

• Osteoporosis is a major health threat for an estimated 44 million Americans (10 million people have the disease while 34 million have low bone mass (which greatly increases the risk of developing osteoporosis)
• 80% of people with osteoporosis are women
• Osteoporosis is not just an “old person’s” disease—it can strike at any age
• In 2005, $19 billion was spent on fractures caused by osteoporosis
• Women can lose up to 20% of their bone mass in the first 5-7 years following menopause
• Approximately half of all women over 50 years old will have an osteoporosis-related fracture in their lifetime
• A woman’s risk of getting a hip fracture is equal to her combined risk of developing breast, ovarian, and uterine cancer
• An average of 24% of hip fracture patients (aged 50 and over) die in the year following the fracture

Risk Factors

• Being a woman
• Getting older
• Sedentary lifestyle
• Low body weight
• Smoking
• Family history of osteoporosis
• History of broken bones
• Excessive intake of caffeine, sodium and protein
• Abusing alcohol
• Low sex hormones
• Menopause
• Certain races and ethnicities
• Missing your period (often caused by eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa)
• Certain medications

Symptoms

Unfortunately, most women don’t know they have osteoporosis until they break a bone.  A bone density test will let you know how healthy your bones are.

Prevention & Treatment

For women, most of your adult bone mass (approximately 85-90%) is acquired by the time you’re 18 years old.  Building strong bones during your growing years will help prevent osteoporosis.

Other steps you can take to ward off this silent disease include:

• Make sure you get the recommended amounts of calcium and Vitamin D every day
• Don’t smoke
• Don’t drink excessive amounts of alcohol
• Engage in regular weight bearing (such as walking) and strength training exercises
• Talk to you doctor about your bone heath
• Get a bone mineral density (BMD) test if you’re at risk
• Take medications that will help build your bones (only if necessary)

Fighting osteoporosis is something you should take seriously.  So get started—it’s never too late!   For more information, please go to the National Osteoporosis Foundation.

Stand Tall and Be Strong!

Molly

Man, it’s been a hot summer so far.  The heat is everywhere—cities that normally don’t get very warm in the summer have experienced temperatures in the triple digits.  Don’t let the heat be an excuse to skip your workout. Understanding how your body reacts to extra warm temperatures is important–and it could save your life.

When you exercise in the heat, your body has to work a lot harder.  Your heart and lungs work double duty to keep your body in check.  Your heart rate increases as your body tries to dissipate the heat.  And if it’s humid, your body works even harder which can cause your internal body temperature to skyrocket.

The most important thing to remember is to THINK and use good judgment.  Everyone handles exposure to heat differently.  Just be sure not to stay outside for extended periods of time and stop exercising if you feel your body is having trouble cooling down.

Become familiar with the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion:

Heat Exhaustion

• Heavy sweating
• Dizziness
• Paleness
• Muscle Cramps
• Nausea/Vomiting
• Headache
• Fainting
• Fatigue
• Pulse is fast and weak

If you experience any of these symptoms, stop exercising immediately and do everything you can to cool yourself down.  Drink cool fluids, go to an air-conditioned building, take a cold shower (if available) and get some rest.  If left untreated, heat exhaustion may lead to heat stroke, which is a medical emergency and is life-threatening.

Follow these tips to stay cool AND in shape this summer:

• Drink a LOT of water!  You already know this so just do it.  Don’t let yourself get dehydrated and don’t wait until you feel thirsty to take a drink.
• Go swimming.  It’s a great form of exercise, it’s fun and you’ll stay cool.  Don’t forget the sunscreen!
• Exercise early in the morning or later in the day when it’s cooler.  I prefer the mornings because it’s a great to start your day.
• Wear loose, comfortable clothes.  Choose fabrics that wick away sweat and change out of sweaty clothes after you work out.
• If you don’t have any issues with water retention or blood pressure, don’t be afraid to put a little salt on your food. When you’re sweating a lot, you may need a little extra sodium.
• If it’s really hot outside, choose an indoor activity.  Take a group exercise class, lift weights at your local gym, or move to your favorite exercise video.
• ALWAYS pay attention to how you feel.  Listen to your body.

Staying fit in the summer is easy, but you have to be smart about it.  Enjoy the beautiful hot days but make sure you stay cool while exercising.

Molly

I have resisted Pilates since it became popular in the 90’s. It’s not because I didn’t want to look like all those sexy celebrities who swear by Pilates, I just thought it wasn’t for me. I always believed that running and lifting weights was all I needed to stay fit.  Boy was I wrong.

As you know, some things happen for a reason. For quite some time, I’d been thinking I should give Pilates a try to see if it would help alleviate some of the dysfunction in my thoracic spine. One day I woke up and decided that was the day I would find a Pilates Studio and give them a call. Later that morning, I met Jennifer Kries while walking Stella and Jessie in Washington Square. She told me she taught Pilates and I promised I would set up a session with her. After 3 months of emailing each other back and forth, I finally scheduled my first lesson. I knew it would be an educational experience but had no idea:

1. How much I would learn
2. How many misconceptions I had about Pilates; and
3. How incredibly talented Jennifer is

Jennifer is a true healer with an extensive background in mind-body arts and fitness. Her knowledge of anatomy, her verbal cues and her incredible teaching methods impressed me beyond words. She has inspired and empowered women around the world with her award winning Method Series DVDs (which she did not tell me about when I met her).

According to Jennifer, there are six principles of Pilates: concentration, control, centering, breath, flow and precision. When performed correctly, you learn to move with maximum efficiency while minimizing stress on your body. You are able to access new levels in your body and create a deeper, more complete feeling of fitness, energy and vitality that remains with you days after your workout.

Jennifer continues her explanation: “The focus is on the center of the body—the “powerhouse”. These corset muscles—also also known as the stabilizing core muscles of the torso—support the spine. The active collaboration of these major muscle groups creates a solid cylinder around the central spine. Keeping these muscles super strong helps prevent shearing or eroding forces from being applied to the vertebrae, ligaments and discs. Problems in the spine result from acute injuries, repetitive trauma and habitual patterns of movement that are unconscious and unproductive for the body and mind.”

My first day, Jennifer simply asked me to stand and breathe while she observed me. Can I tell you how hard this was? I would have much rather had her tell me to drop to the floor and do 50 push-ups. Because of the restrictions in my mid-back, taking continual deep breaths while standing with good posture is quite difficult.

To make a long story short, Jennifer’s trained eye saw many destructive things about my posture. My “natural” posture is causing a lot of compression on my low back and hips (which can also affect the knees). The tightness in my rib cage is causing me to round my shoulders which will continue to worsen my posture over time if I don’t do something about it now.

After 4 sessions, I’ve learned specific exercises that will help improve both my posture and my rib dysfunction over time. The extreme rigidity in my thoracic spine is improving and I’m definitely sleeping better. The deep breathing is still really hard for me, but it is getting a little easier.

I believe that Pilates is almost a necessity for people like me.  No, I’m not a dancer or an actress; I’m a 46 year old woman with significant issues in my spine and I suffer from sporadic pain in my hips and knees.  I am planning on taking Pilates at least one time per week for the rest of my life!  With weekly classes, I am confident that my posture will be better when I’m 65 than it is today.  I think it’s a good goal.

If you want to increase your core strength, improve your lung capacity and improve your mind-body connection, please give Pilates a try. You’ll learn to connect your mind with your body.  If you’re willing, you’ll also learn to slow down and realize that life is not something we should strive to race through.  We should embrace life every day by living in the moment.

If you’re interested in purchasing one of Jennifer’s DVDs, please visit her site at www.jenniferkries.com.   If you’ve had a “life-changing” experience from performing Pilates, please share your story.

Stand tall and Breathe,

Molly