senior fitness When Men Develop Osteoporosis!
By Jim Evans

Dear Jim: I was surprised when my doctor told me that I have early osteoporosis. After all, I’m a male and, at 62, still relatively young. I thought only women and older adults were afflicted with it. The doctor has prescribed medication to slow my bone loss and calcium tablets to supplement my daily calcium intake. He also told me to exercise more but wasn’t specific about what kind of exercise. Any suggestions?

— Surprised In Sioux City

Dear Surprised: Welcome to reality. Although it is true that women are four times more likely to develop osteoporosis than men, it is not exclusive to women, according to the National Osteoporosis Foundation.

In fact, the NOF reports that of 10 million Americans estimated to have osteoporosis, 2 million are men.

Because men generally have larger, stronger bones than women, this probably accounts for why it affects more women than men. And, although the rate of bone loss naturally increases with age, osteoporosis can occur at any age. It is considered a major public-health threat for an estimated 44 million Americans, or 55 percent of those older than 50.

Osteoporosis is a disease that causes the bones to become more porous and prone to fractures. If left untreated, it will progress relentlessly until, indeed, something finally breaks.

Because it has no obvious symptoms, most people with osteoporosis don’t know they have it until their bones become so brittle, a slight bump or strain can cause a fracture. NOF reports that osteoporosis is responsible for more than 1.5 million fractures every year — many that become permanently debilitating and lead to further medical complications.

The good thing is that your doctor has made an early diagnosis, so you can begin to offset the progress of this disease and begin to rebuild your bone mass. I recently had a client who was diagnosed with osteoporosis more than 20 years ago and ignored her doctor’s advice entirely — probably because she did not have any obvious symptoms. She is now permanently confined to a wheelchair, so this is not something to be ignored.

As your doctor has indicated, exercise is another important component for both the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis to improve bone density. Resistance exercise — particularly weight-bearing exercise — is usually recommended for people with osteoporosis.

If, like most older adults, you have been relatively inactive most of your life, you should go back to your doctor to see whether he would preclude any specific kind of exercise, because the degree of osteoporosis can be a factor in your treatment and level of physical activity.

However, assuming that there are no major restrictions, I suggest starting with a good walking program of 20 to 30 minutes a day, and over a period of several weeks, adding small hand weights for resistance.

The weights can be carried to increase your upper-body strength and strengthen the bones in your lower extremities while walking. You also might consider seeking a personal trainer. I also recommend balance exercises to improve your stability and prevent potential falls.

The important thing is to be proactive in your treatment, and don’t assume that you are “cured” because you don’t feel any symptoms. Osteoporosis might improve, but it doesn’t just go away, and your treatment will require a permanent change in your lifestyle to be effective.

Jim Evans is a 38-year veteran of the health and fitness industry and a nationally recognized consultant on fitness for seniors. He is also host of the popular weekly radio talk show “Forever Young” on San Diego’s KCBQ 1170 AM KCBQ.com) every Saturday at 10 a.m.