Margaret Francis: My Osteoporosis Journey

Where I’ve come from

From a childhood, teenage years and early adulthood, that all involved active exercise…

… (neighbourhood bike rider, active amateur tennis player, casual runner and walker of long distances),

I became an ultra-busy middle-aged person… I still took the stairs, not the lifts, went for long walks, constantly rushed up stairs in a career as a casual/part-time teacher… however, the balance was tipping over because I also sat for long periods at a computer doing lesson preparations and an obsessive family history hobby. I stopped the tennis, drove our children to activities but didn’t join in sports myself.

In my 40s, I was placed on blood pressure medication (an inherited condition) and was making bad food choices for some years, but fortunately had some good advice, changed my diet and successfully steered away from an early diabetes diagnosis.  

In my 50s, I attended menopause presentations that stressed the importance of nutrition and exercise – including resistance exercises. I followed the diet and walking guides but ‘never quite had the time’ (!!) to organise myself into a resistance program. Somewhere in the mix, the balance tipped over and with a DEXA scan at the age of 72, I received a diagnosis of osteoporosis.

What led to this diagnosis?

In my personal journey, my diet had included a lot of calcium products and my yearly blood tests showed a good level of vitamin D, so I believe that the main culprits leading to this situation were… lack of resistance exercises … and possibly quite a lot due to age/gender/family history!

The latter group I can do nothing about!

That left me with an over-whelming desire to try to make up for lost time by doing weight -bearing and resistance exercises, in order to stimulate bone growth and ward off any major new bone loss … so after a phone call to the company who’d helped me with physio practitioners for two previous issues, I began immediately with exercise-physiologist, Sarah.

What happened next?

At first, I had five Medicare-supported sessions with an emphasis on weight-bearing. Since then, I have moved to a balanced mixture of sessions… an individual session with Sarah, focused on weight-bearing, about once a month, with seniors’ strength class once a week. I already had a series of exercises given to me by my podiatrist. The shock of my diagnosis jolted me into being more vigilant and regular with his program as well. I have acquired weights at home and check my home program with Sarah. In my individual sessions with her I work on specific techniques plus have discussions on my overall progress. I enjoy the seniors’ strength and exercise class, both for the variety of strength and balance activities as well as the social/sharing aspect.

A parallel new change was a definite morning walk of about 3k each day, plus focus on variety during the day, not simply a cobbling together of all my exercise over the day to ‘get to 10,000 steps’.

These two new personal programs (vigilance in walking plus the organised strength and resistance programs) have complemented each other in many positive ways.

My results

From the beginning (post diagnosis), my determination forced me to focus and look forward to my sessions of morning walks and my program with Sarah. In the lifting, there was general satisfaction, a feeling of achievement and a physical wave of euphoria as I slowly achieved new levels. In the seniors’ strength and balance program, an enjoyable and varied range of balance and strength exercises made me gradually realise that in my everyday activities at home, I had more energy and more confidence in achieving physical tasks.

Then there were changes in other ways I hadn’t expected. My personal monitor was showing that my blood pressure levels were falling … so I found myself presenting back to my GP for  ‘permission’ to lower my medication … then again … and again. In fact, I am down to the small maintenance level that I began with, 25 years ago.

I’ve been consistent with my recording of my readings … in my resistance program, in my blood pressure readings and with other general health comments.

I’m currently lifting 33 kg in a deadlift with a bar.

I sometimes realise, (when walking on a flat surface, eg along a modern shopping centre flooring) that I’m pushing along with a real ‘spring in my step’. It’s a nice feeling. In traditional streets, I can’t achieve that feeling because I’m very cautious about uneven surfaces … however on familiar streets I still achieve a good rhythm. I was recently in Sydney for family reasons, having travelled on a train with enough gear for an overnight stay. I carried a pack on my back and three (albeit light) shoulder bags. I transferred to a light rail journey, then finished in a steep Sydney suburb, on a 20 minute walk beside suburban roads and down a steep staircase. I enjoyed the whole experience and thought back to the person who, two years before, was dragging herself slowly in any street or building that involved steep places.

Any setbacks?

Yes, there are some setbacks, especially if I am away from my routine, even for the purpose of a relaxing holiday. I have found that any travel or even a few days or so of an exciting program connected to a hobby or family event, can set back my exercise program because I’m either sitting for longer periods for some reason, or I’m away from equipment. However, I have learned to become creative. Some hotels have gyms! I take resistance bands and loops when away. With car travel, I stop and do walks or stretches or jumping along a pavement. If caught in a bank queue, I sometimes stand on one leg or on tippy toes. I still ‘take the stairs’ if possible.    

What of the future?

I began my resistance program with euphoria, with a hope I might reverse my diagnosis. Twelve months since that DEXA scan, I’m now resigned to a goal of slowing down the rate of bone deterioration. Overall, I actually feel that I’m a more rounded and resilient person than before the diagnosis … do I say I’m glad of the diagnosis? … no of course not … however, having begun with an overwhelming desire to ‘give the bone improvement exercises’ a go, I feel I’ve shown that it’s never too late to start anything and I’m able to look on my other improvements as making the whole process worthwhile.

Any advice to others?

Yes… to people younger than me … begin these programs now!

To people newly diagnosed … DON’T take up medication immediately. Give yourself time to research the level of osteoporosis you have, as well as the whole topic of medication… and in the meantime …. do your walking… ‘pound the pavements’ … and begin a resistance exercise program immediately!!