Program helps women avoid osteoporosis
Osteoporosis – a debilitating disease which causes bones to become fragile and break more easily – is one of the greatest health threats facing Americans today, particularly those 50 or older. According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, nearly 10 million people in the United States already suffer from osteoporosis while another 34 mil lion have low bone mass, which increases their risk of developing the disease. Approximately 80 percent of all those afflicted with the disease are women; in fact, about 18 percent of all white women suffer a fracture caused by osteoporosis by their 65th birthday.
The good news, however, is that exercising and eating well can help strengthen bones and prevent additional bone loss. Physical activity in general and strength training in particular builds muscle and bone mass, increases strength, flexibility and balance and helps individuals win the battle against weakness and frailty.
The message is simple – “use it or lose it,” says Carolyn Wissenbach, extension educator for Greene, Fayette & Washington Counties.
Despite the benefits that can come from increased physical activity, many women over the age of 50 are reluctant to start an exercise pro gram.
A lot of these women hear the term “strength training” and im mediately begin thinking of health clubs and all of those big weights. They have no interest in joining a health club – doing so is quite intimidating to them.
StrongWomen, a program created by Dr. Miriam Nelson – an expert in exercise physiology and nutrition at Tufts University – is an exercise program designed specifically to help mid-life and older women increase their physical activity. Penn State Fayette County Cooperative Extension will offer Strong Women beginning at 7 p.m. on Sept. 27 at the extension office in Uniontown. Taylor Howrylak will be the instructor.
There will be an informational meeting at 5 p.m. Tuesday at Fayette County Cooperative Extension Office, 34 W. Peter St., Federal Building, Uniontown. One does not need to attend the information session to participate in the classes but pre-registration is recommended.
To register or for more information on the program, call Carolyn Wissenbach at 724-627-3745 or email GreeneExt@psu.edu.
Participants attend a series of one-hour sessions, every Monday and Wednesday for eight weeks, during which they will perform a series of simple exercises using free and ankle weights. The amount of weight being lifted is increased gradually during the class cycle, and pre-and post-physical assessments are con ducted to document the strength, balance and flexibility changes that result from the gradual increases. There is a small fee for the classes and all weights are provided.
Nearly 1,200 Pennsylvania women have participated in 209 StrongWomen classes since the program’s debut. Feed-back from the participants indicates that they feel physically stronger, have more energy, sleep bet ter, have less joint pain and generally are more active as a result of their participation. Call 724-627-3745 to sign up.