Improve skeletal strength through novel exercise program.

Some daughters develop a special bond with their fathers through music or a favorite movie genre; others through sports or a designated staple in their weekly schedules such as Sunday morning brunch.

The special bond that Leslie Bozeman had with her father was forged by the daily news.

“When I was growing up, my father would always share whatever was happening in the news while we were eating dinner together,” Leslie explains. “That sparked an interest in me to watch the news myself so I would have things to discuss with him.”

While watching the news, Leslie developed an interest not only in current affairs but also American history. That eventually led her to a decision to become a history teacher, a position she’s held for 28 years, most recently at Land O’ Lakes High School.

“I teach mostly 11th grade,” says Leslie, who can easily become engrossed in any aspect of US history but clearly holds a special passion for the women’s suffrage movement, her study of which has steadily increased over the years.

“I’ve built my women’s rights unit up a lot over the years because I like sharing stories of the women who were arrested, and in some cases illegally imprisoned, and then went on hunger strikes just to get the right to vote,” Leslie details.

Leslie, 57, clearly appreciates the sacrifice those women made for themselves and others that followed. She takes her voting rights seriously but will tell you that one of her most important election choices had nothing to do with politics.

It was a decision made after learning six years ago that she had osteoporosis, a condition in which bone growth fails to keep pace with natural bone degeneration to the point where bone mineral density becomes dangerously low.

Found most often in postmenopausal women, osteoporosis and its predecessor, osteopenia, affect about 54 million Americans, including many men, and can lead to severe bone breaks. Leslie has a family history of such fractures.

“My paternal grandmother had osteoporosis. Her arm snapped just trying to get out of the car once,” she recalls. “She also had a vertebra in her back crumble so bad that it left her bedridden before her death.”

Osteoporosis often goes undetected until a fracture occurs. Because it can greatly affect the bones in the spine, osteopenia, osteoporosis and low bone mass can also cause some to lose height or lead to a stooped posture.

These conditions can all be treated or managed, including through medications. Leslie, however, had concerns about side effects associated with those medications and sought a different treatment.

“I did some research and started at first by treating it myself with vitamins and some homeopathic things,” Leslie relates. “Then one day I saw a story about OsteoStrong and decided to check it out.”

Inventive Program

OsteoStrong is a revolutionary program that has helped more than 25,000 people reverse the negative effects of osteoporosis and osteopenia through using specialized biomechanical equipment that is used once a week for about 15 minutes.

The equipment allows the user to perform resistance-based pushing and pulling exercises with their arms and legs. During these workouts, pressure of up to 12 times the users’ body weight can be safely applied.

“The difference between our equipment and the equipment used at a traditional gym is that our equipment does not involve a counterforce,” states Mark Brady, president of OsteoStrong in South Pasadena.

“Because there’s no force pushing against you, you create the force you’re comfortable with, and you are in control of it at all times. For example, on our lower body and leg machine, I’ve had women in their 80s who weigh 100 pounds exert forces in excess of 1,000 pounds.

“For a 100-pound person to develop new bone working out on traditional equipment, they would need to create a resistance of over 400 pounds. That simply can’t be done by 99 percent of all people in a gym environment because it involves weights they couldn’t physically move. Or if they could move them, they’d be at high risk of injury.”

“It’s just a short amount of time that you spend on the machines, but the health benefits are amazing.” – Leslie

To understand the difference in the two formats, Mark invites people to come in and try the OsteoStrong equipment. His facility offers a free orientation session to allow those interested to learn more about the science behind the program.

“This is an amazing concept that is the culmination of 12 years of research that looked into the body’s adaptive response to growing bone and muscle structure and improving the density of the bones,” Mark says.

“As a result of that research, it is now a known medical fact that when you put certain forces on the bones, the body responds by growing new bone tissue. That’s what OsteoStrong does, and the results of these short sessions are absolutely amazing.”

According to Mark, studies have found that OsteoStrong improves bone density 7 to 14 percent per year. In addition, people will increase their strength by an average of 73 percent over their first year at OsteoStrong.

Mark also points out there are similar studies confirming that an OsteoStrong session more than once a week does not promote additional benefits. As a result, workouts are both impactful and efficient.

Noting that osteoporosis is not a disorder exclusive to any age group or gender, Mark encourages people of all ages to accept his invitation to try the equipment.

“Osteoporosis is not something that only happens to old people,” he explains. “As a result, we have clients from young to old. Nor are men immune to it. In fact, when men start losing their testosterone, their bone loss becomes more rapid.

“At OsteoStrong, we offer people an opportunity to learn more about osteopenia and osteoporosis and why the OsteoStrong program is so effective at fighting it.”

Keep It Up

Upon receiving her diagnosis, Leslie learned that in addition to her hips and legs, osteoporosis was mostly eating away at the bones in her spine. After her first year of OsteoStrong workouts, her bone density scans showed the disease was already receding.

“Not only did the DEXA scan that I had after I finished my first year in the OsteoStrong program show improvement, but every DEXA scan that I’ve had since then has shown improvement as well,” Leslie shares.

“In fact, the last one showed I no longer have osteoporosis and only have osteopenia in one small place in my spine. When I showed that to my doctor, he said, This is fabulous. Keep doing what you’re doing. He was very supportive, which I appreciate.”

Leslie has good reason to appreciate her doctor’s support. On Thursdays after school, she drives more than 50 miles from Land O’ Lakes High to get in her OsteoStrong session. That long drive, she says, is worth it.

“It is a bit of a haul for me, but the results are there, and the people who run the facility – Mark, the owner; his sister, the office manager; and Kathy, who runs the machines – are really invested in your health. And they make you feel like family.

“That’s one of the reasons I really look forward to going there each week. That and the fact that I know the OsteoStrong sessions are working. I’ve always been very active, and I want to stay active, especially now that I have my first grandchild.

“I want to be active with him, and OsteoStrong is going to allow me to do that. That’s why I highly recommend it. It’s just a short amount of time that you spend on the machines, but the health benefits are amazing.”

© FHCN article by Roy Cummings. Photo by Michelle Brooks. mkb

 

As seen in South Pinellas County Edition of
Florida Health Care News.