For many women, menopause encompasses more than the “typical” symptoms like hot flashes, night sweats, and mood swings. One (sometimes unexpected) symptom of menopause is osteoporosis. During perimenopause and menopause, your estrogen levels fluctuate and eventually decrease. This drop in estrogen leads to a period of accelerated bone loss, increasing your risk of developing osteoporosis.

Did you know?...

Estrogen loss can cause women to lose approx. 25% of their bone mass from the beginning of menopause to age 60
½ of women older than 50 will experience a fracture related to osteoporosis
Many women do not know they have osteoporosis until their first fracture
Symptoms include fracture, back pain, loss of height, and a stooped posture
There is no cure for osteoporosis, but there are ways to manage it

Taking Care of Yourself
Hearing the term “osteoporosis” can be scary. However, there are ways to minimize your risk of developing it through optimizing your bone mass and maintaining your skeletal health. This can be accomplished through physical activity (resistance and/or weight-bearing exercises), eating healthy (especially vitamin D and calcium), avoiding excessive alcohol consumption, and not smoking. If lifestyle changes are not enough, other options are out there. Talk with your healthcare professional about hormonal/non-hormonal medicines that can increase your estrogen levels, slow bone loss, and help you improve your skeletal health.

Resistance Exercise

Resistance training (aka weight training) is a type of exercises that utilizes resistance or weight to build strength and increase size of skeletal muscles. Resistance training is preventative of osteoporosis as it works to increase bone density and combat bone loss. Beyond skeletal health, resistance training is important to incorporate into your routine as you age as it builds endurance and improves your overall health and well-being.

Equipment Options

Resistance Cables
Theraband
Free weights

Foods High in Calcium

Dairy
Vegetables

Edamame
Spinach
Kale

100% Orange Juice
Tofu
Refer to health.gov for a full list!

Foods High in Vitamin D

Fish
Milk and milk alternatives
Yogurt
100% Orange Juice
Mushrooms
Refer to health.gov for a full list!

Pelvic Floor Therapy Can Help!

As menopause also effects the pelvic floor, you may be wondering …. “How do I take care of my pelvic floor (reduce leaking or avoid prolapse) and exercise appropriately for my osteoporosis diagnosis?” A skilled, pelvic floor therapist can support you by recommending appropriate osteoporosis exercises that also consider the pelvic floor. They can work with you to modify resistance and weight-bearing exercises in order to make them safe for you and your body.

To learn more about if pelvic floor therapy might be right for you, Contact Kyrsten Spurrier at The Perinatal Pelvis today!

Exercises That You Can Do at Home

Here are some of Kyrsten’s favorite six joint/bone-friendly exercises that you can do at home.