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JORDAN PYSZ / iFoundMyDoctor.com
Since beginning the OsteoStrong program a little more than a year ago, Fran’s DEXA scans are showing an increase in bone density in her lumbar spine and hip. That has made her a happy sailor.
When the skipper charged with delivering a Hunter 27 sailboat from Manasota Key to the St. Petersburg Municipal Marina sent out a call for crew members to help him make the delivery last spring, Fran McCarthy was one of the first to offer her services. “I have a small sailboat of my own, but I’m also a member of a sailing club, and I love it when boat owners or skippers invite club members to be a part of their crew for a long-distance sailing trip,” Fran offers. “We were on the water for 17 hours delivering that 27-foot Hunter, but just prior to that I was part of a crew that sailed a 45-foot boat from the St. Petersburg Yacht Club to Key Largo. We were on the water for two weeks that time, and it was pure bliss.” As Fran can attest, membership in the St. Petersburg Yacht Club does have privileges. The 68-year-old has twice sailed the waters in and around Greece with club members and was once a crew member on a boat that sailed the waters off the South of France. Unfortunately, Fran is also a member of a club that offers no privileges. “I have osteoporosis,” Fran reveals. “I was diagnosed with the disease not long after I went through menopause at age 49. It started out as osteopenia, of course, but it gradually got worse as time went on and eventually became osteoporosis.” Osteoporosis and its precursor, osteopenia, are common conditions that develop when bone growth fails to keep pace with bone degeneration to a point where bone mineral density becomes dangerously low. Found most often in postmenopausal women, osteopenia and osteoporosis increase the risk for hip, spine and wrist fractures. These conditions can also lead to a stooped posture, which can cause balance disorders and dangerous falls. Considered a silent disease by many physicians, osteoporosis affects 54 million Americans, including many men, and it often goes undetected until a fracture occurs. Fran was fortunate to learn of her diagnosis through dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry, or DEXA scan. “And for almost 20 years after that, every DEXA scan I had showed that my bone density was a little worse,” Fran reports. “So, for years, I did what I could to try to keep it under control by eating a lot of leafy greens, almonds and things that produce calcium. “I’m definitely into health and wellness, so I also walk on the beach and do yoga. I was also working hard to kind of clean out my gut so that I have better absorption of minerals. So, this condition is definitely something that I’ve watched closely and been conscious of.” Osteoporosis can also be treated with medication, but Fran never went down that road, choosing instead to address the condition holistically. Then one day, while running an errand near her house, she spotted a sign for OsteoStrong that grabbed her attention. “I just happened to be in the area and thought, I should check this out,” Fran recalls. “I also asked my doctor about it, and she said that she’d heard about it and liked the concept but didn’t really know much about it. So, I just dropped by one day and started asking questions.”
Resistance-Based Program
What Fran learned is that OsteoStrong is a revolutionary exercise program that has helped more than 25,000 people reverse the effects of osteoporosis and osteopenia by using specialized biomechanical equipment once a week for about 15 minutes. The equipment is designed for resistance-based pushing and pulling with the arms and legs. During the resistance motion, a pressure many times the user’s body weight can be safely applied. “The difference between OsteoStrong equipment and the equipment at a traditional gym is that ours does not involve a counter force,” states Mark Brady, president of OsteoStrong in South Pasadena. “Because there’s no force pushing against you, you create a force within your comfort zone, and you’re in control at all times. “For example, when working on our lower body 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 weight 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’ would be at high risk of injury.” To understand the difference, Mark invites people to come in and try the OsteoStrong equipment during a free orientation session that will allow them 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 to improve the density of the bones,” he says. “Medical research has shown when you put certain forces on the bones, the body responds by growing new bone tissue. That’s what OsteoStrong does.” According to Mark, studies have found that OsteoStrong improves bone density 7 to 14 percent per year. In addition, people can increase their strength by an average of 73 percent over their first year at OsteoStrong. “The results of these short sessions are absolutely amazing,” he impresses. Mark also points out that doing an OsteoStrong session more than once a week does not promote additional benefit. As a result, workouts are effective and efficient. Mark also notes that bone loss is not exclusive to any age group. “Osteoporosis is not something that only happens to old people,” he explains. “As a result, we have clients from young to old. And men are not immune. When men start losing their testosterone, their bone loss becomes more rapid. “At OsteoStrong, we also offer people an opportunity to learn more about osteopenia and osteoporosis and why the OsteoStrong program is so effective at fighting them.”
“Well Worth It”
Fran began her weekly workouts at OsteoStrong in June 2022. This past summer, her latest DEXA scan showed an increase in bone density in her lumbar spine and hip, something she had not seen since she learned she had osteoporosis. “I’m doing a lot of things to help fight this, but I absolutely attribute the improvement in my bone density to OsteoStrong,” Fran says. “I think that improvement is due to a combination of things, but OsteoStrong is a big factor. I honestly believe that.” Grateful that she has benefited from the OsteoStrong workouts, Fran has encouraged others to try the program as well. She’s even taken strides to help her doctor better understand the program that helped improve her bone health. “This is a new doctor, a different one than I went to before, and she thinks the program is great,” Fran says. “She’s wanted to know more about it so she could recommend it herself, so I just gave her a copy of Florida Health Care News with an article on it. “As I told her, it’s a great program, and it’s so convenient. I’m usually there for just half an hour once a week, and when I’m done, I go and run my errands and then go home. You really can’t beat that or the results that I’m getting from it.”
To Learn More Visit: OsteoStrong of St. Petersburg
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