What is Osteopenia/Osteoporosis?

Have you ever been told that you have osteopenia, osteoporosis, or that you were at risk but not sure what this means? These terms refer to our bone health from a
measurement called Bone Mineral Density (BMD). At all stages of life, our bones are constantly being broken down and rebuilt by osteoblasts (building blocks) and osteoclasts (demolition crew). For several different reasons (genetic, lifestyle, environmental), osteopenia/osteoporosis is a direct result from when our osteoclasts are breaking down more bone than the osteoblasts can rebuild, which over time, results in bone loss.

How do we test and interpret results?

A DEXA scan is the current gold standard for testing BMD. A quick, non-invasive
10–15-minute scan that looks at your:

• L1-L4 (spine)
• Left and Right Femoral neck
• Left and Right hip Total

Results are determined as a “T-Score”, with the ranges listed above for each bone density type. A normal bone is a dense, honeycomb-like looking structure.
Osteopenia, those honeycomb holes start to get larger, with osteoporosis having a noticeably less dense structure, which places higher risk of fractures.

At risk populations:

• Older age (>50)
• Post menopause
• Family history of osteopenia/osteoporosis
• Some cancers (breast, prostate, lung, multiple myeloma to name a few) and
  cancer treatments (hormone replacement therapy, chemo and radiation)
• Low calcium and Vitamin D in diet
• Low Body Mass Index (BMI)
• Smoking and excessive alcohol consumption

Guidelines for exercise and bone health

‘Healthy Bones Australia’ holds the most current guidelines in Australia for treatment of osteoporosis. There are 3 main components of exercise that will elicit the best results for improving BMD:
1. Weight Bearing Impact Exercise
2. Resistance Training
3. Balance Training

Impact exercises can look like many different things, whether it’s running, hopping and jumping. Or on a much smaller scale such as a calf raise with a heel drop or step ups with a heel slam.

Resistance training is ideally looking at moderate to heavy resistance, particularly around the hip and spine, but ensuring all major muscle groups are involved.

Balance training can look like anything from pilates, dancing, single leg standing,
tandem walking and so on. The two forms of balance training are:

• Static (holding a still position e.g. standing on one leg)
• Dynamic (balance with movement e.g. tandem walking)

Now, impact exercises and moderate to heavy resistance exercise can sound scary and daunting, but it doesn’t need to be. Guidance and assessments from a professional in exercise prescription will ensure that the exercises and program you are given is one that meets your current abilities and requirements.

Diet

There are two key dietary factors for healthy bones, and that is Calcium and Vitamin D. Our bones are made up of roughly 40% calcium, with 99% of our body’s calcium stores found in teeth and bones. Vitamin D helps absorb the calcium we consume from our foods.

If you would like further advice or direction around what/how much you should be
consuming to support bone health, consult a GP or Dietician.

For more information:

If this sounds like something that would be of benefit, you can book in an initial consult with one of our Exercise Physiologist’s here at GSMC!

You can also visit www.healthybonesaustralia.org.au for further information and
infographics for anything bone health related

Key Points:

66% of individuals over the age of 50 have osteoporosis or osteopenia

3 different types of exercise:

1. Weight Bearing Impact Exercise
2. Resistance Training
3. Balance

At risk populations:

• > 50
• Post menopausal
• Family history of osteopenia/osteoporosis
• Low BMI
• Some treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation

Healthy Bones Australia current Gold Standard for guidelines in Australia
Ensuring adequate calcium and vitamin D intake for bone health alongside exercise