Since I’ve been writing these articles, I have tried to show you why you might want to make changes to your lifestyle and also how hard it might be, and it can be hard. Sometimes you need a trigger to make changes.
This is exactly what happened to one of my clients, I’ll call her Julie.
Julie went through an abrupt menopause at the age of 43. This was actually OK for her with very few symptoms. When she turned 50 she started reading more about the menopause and how it might affect her, in particular her bone density. In the media at the time there were reports that HRT would significantly increase the risk of breast cancer and so she didn’t take that.
Aged 53, Julie went to her GP, worried about her bone density. The outcome of this was that she had a DEXA scan. A DEXA scan measures your bone density.
The result of this DEXA scan was that she was osteopenic, borderline osteoporosis.. This shocked her, she was only 53. With a bone density this low, and probably falling, Julie was at a high risk of breaking her bones if she had a fall.
This was the trigger that made Julie take action.
She decided to go onto HRT; the science had changed and the risk was not as great as first thought and the risk, for her, was outweighed by the improvement to her bone health.
She also made changes to her diet, cut down on alcohol and started exercising.
Over the last year she has worked with me to do strength training, lifting heavy weights. In that relatively short time she has made significant gains.
Earlier this summer, aged 63, Julie went back for another DEXA scan. She was stunned and elated at the results. All her work over the last 10 years had made a massive difference to her bone density, as she told me, “I now have the bones of a 30 year old!”.
The part of Julie’s story that I love most is that she decided to do something about her health. She realised that she couldn’t wait and she wanted to be in control.
There is nothing stopping you doing the same. In some ways Julie was lucky, she had a specific trigger; this was enough for her to know she needed to change. But you don’t have to wait for something to happen before you take action.
You can start today. It doesn’t have to be a dramatic change; small improvements to your diet, exercise and lifestyle can add up over time. The important thing is to take that first step.