I have osteopenia. Is strength training safe, and can it help my bones?
It can be, and your doctor or physio is the one who decides that for you. Ask them what you're cleared to do, what to avoid, and whether strength training can help your bones with your diagnosis. Then we train around what they say: your coach modifies, every move has an easier option, and you start lighter.
A diagnosis changes how you train.
It doesn't have to end your training.
And you don't have to figure it out alone.
First, when should you talk to your doctor or physio?
Before you start. Every time.
We coach. We don't diagnose or treat, and that includes anything to do with your bones.
Talk to your doctor or physio before you start a new strength program if you have:
- Osteopenia or osteoporosis. Whatever your results say, they're the ones who can read them for you.
- Medication for your bones, or a decision about one coming up.
- A past fracture or a recent fall. Tell them, even if it was years ago.
- Pain, an injury or a recent surgery. Anything that hasn't been looked at yet.
Then ask them three things:
- What am I cleared to do?
- What should I avoid, or change? On the strength days and the conditioning days.
- Can strength training help my bones, with my diagnosis?
Write the answers down.
Then bring them to us.
If your doctor or physio has given you limits, your coach works within them. Their advice always comes first.
Can strength training help your bones?
Here's the thing.
You've probably read plenty about lifting and bones. Some of it hopeful, some of it scary, most of it written for someone who isn't you.
You have a diagnosis. That makes this a question for the person who has your results and knows your history.
So we're not going to answer it for you on a web page.
What we can tell you is what we do. We coach strength training, food and recovery, and we build all of it around what your doctor or physio says.
And if you're on medication for your bones, or deciding about one, that stays between you and your doctor. We never tell anyone to start, stop or change a medication. Your training sits alongside their plan. It's never a substitute for it.
Why do so many women stop training after a diagnosis?
Because the word itself is scary.
A lot of the women we talk to tell us that after the diagnosis, every dumbbell started to look like a risk.
Here's what we often see:
- They stop everything. Nervous of doing the wrong thing, so they do nothing at all.
- They guess. A class here, a video there. Chris calls it the "vomit of exercise," and nobody in that class knows about the diagnosis.
- They push through. Same workouts as before, same weights, and they quietly hope for the best.
- They never ask. They leave the appointment without knowing what they're actually cleared to do.
Sound familiar?
Every one of those has a better option. It starts with asking your doctor or physio the three questions above.
How do we train around osteopenia?
The same way we train around a bad knee or a cranky shoulder.
Fixing it is your doctor's job. Ours is to keep you training within what they've cleared. Here's how we coach around injuries, and the same thinking applies here.
- Tell your coach on day one. Share what your doctor or physio told you, including anything to avoid. She builds your plan around it.
- Your coach modifies your plan. Moves that don't fit what you've been cleared for get changed or swapped.
- Every move has an easier option. You pick the version that fits what you've been cleared to do, today.
- You start lighter. Controlled form comes first. Chris coaches form on camera in every workout, and I'm right there doing it with you.
The workouts are follow-along videos you do at home, about 50 minutes each. In the Reset, that's 5 a week: 3 strength and 2 conditioning, and one of the conditioning days is optional.
All you need is a set of dumbbells, a Swiss ball and some fabric bands.
Nobody is pushing you past what your doctor has cleared. Nobody is keeping score.
If a move doesn't feel right, stop it, take the easier option and tell your coach. If anything hurts or worries you, check with your doctor or physio before you do it again.
Is strength training still part of the plan?
Yes. Strength training is part of how we coach every woman.
Chris calls resistance training "the foundation and heartbeat" of everything we do. A diagnosis doesn't change that. It changes what your version looks like, and your doctor or physio has the final say on that.
Most women come to us wanting to lose weight. What they actually want to lose is fat.
That's what our coaching is built for: strength training, real food and recovery, with a PN-certified coach who checks in every two weeks and answers your messages between check-ins. She's a woman over 40 who has done the Reset herself.
We've helped 1,000+ women lose 10 to 20 lbs of fat in 8 weeks.
Worried you've left it too late? Here's why it's never too late to build muscle after menopause.
What about food?
The plan uses real food. No calorie counting, no food scales, no macro tracking.
The first 14 days are lower carb and higher protein, with a short break from alcohol, dairy, gluten and processed sugar. Then foods come back.
If your doctor has told you anything about food for your bones, tell your coach on day one. She builds your plan around what they've said.
And if you're brand new to lifting, start here: can you really strength train at home if you've never lifted?
Ready to train with your doctor's answers in hand?
Ask your questions first.
Then let us build around the answers.
Start with the short video on our homepage at fortyfwd.com. It walks through why your body stopped responding after 40 and the method we use to change that.
If it sounds like you, apply for a call with Chris.
He reads every application himself. On the call, he'll ask about your diagnosis and what your doctor or physio has cleared you to do, and tell you straight whether the program is the right fit. If it is, he walks you through the investment then, once you both know it's a fit.
Bring your doctor's answers.
We'll train around them.
Frequently asked questions
Is it safe to lift weights with osteopenia?
That's a question for your doctor or physio, because it depends on your diagnosis and history. Once they've told you what you're cleared to do and what to avoid, your coach builds your plan within it.
Can lifting weights help my bone density?
Ask your doctor. They know your results, and they're the right person to tell you what training can and can't do for your bones.
Can I lose weight if I have osteopenia?
Talk to your doctor first. Within what they clear, we coach fat loss the way we do for every woman: strength training, real food and recovery, with your plan built around your diagnosis.
Should I stop my bone medication if I start strength training?
Medication decisions belong to you and your doctor. We never tell anyone to start, stop or change a medication, and your training sits alongside their plan.
What if a move doesn't feel right with osteopenia?
Stop that move, take the easier option and tell your coach so she can adjust your plan. If anything hurts or worries you, check with your doctor or physio before you do it again.