women should lift weights because it prevents osteoporosis in old age and makes you a more capable person in everyday life please shut up about butts and waists and hourglasses i’m going to fucking kill
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Hi there! I worked in a PT clinic for a while and I’m currently studying physical therapy! Here’s what I’ve learned from both school and my time working with patients with bone density concerns:
(just to cover my legal bases i am NOT a doctor nor am I giving medical advice. My intent as a med student is to inform people so they can make their own decisions and perform further research about the condition. Please talk to your doctor or primary care provider before beginning any treatment, exercise routine, etc.)
In anatomy Wolff’s Law states that a bone will remodel itself in response to stresses placed upon it. What this means for your health is if you put (appropriate and safe) weight bearing through your bones your body will deposit more calcium and collagen into those bones to compensate for increased stress. On the flip side, if you DON’T lift weights (again, within appropriate and safe parameters) the human body has a ‘use it or lose it’ mindset. Your body is constantly breaking down and building your bones to maintain blood calcium homeostasis and if your body doesn’t think it needs the extra calcium in bones it’s gonna break it down for the various uses throughout the rest of the body.
PREVENTION IS YOUR BEST FRIEND. If you know osteoporosis/osteopenia runs in your family please talk to your doctor/health care provider or other medical professional about safe weight lifting/workout options for you. ALSO if you already HAVE osteoporosis/osteopenia please talk to your PCP or physical therapist for a plan of treatment! A lot of older women have the misconception that since their bones are brittle they cannot perform weight bearing exercises when in fact the opposite is true! Your body will lay down more calcium and collagen with an appropriate exercise routine.
