Improving Bone Health: How To Perform the Deadlift for Osteoporosis

Are Deadlifts Safe for me if I have Osteoporosis?

A major health concern for women over the age of 50 is osteoporosis, a condition that weakens bones and increases the risk of fractures. Deadlifts are a great exercise to increase bone density in your lower back and hips, but many people are scared of doing them! This blog post will discuss ways that you can improve your bone density safely, empowering you to take control of your health.

What is Osteoporosis?

Osteoporosis is the gradual loss of bone density. Your bones are living structures, constantly breaking down and building up throughout your lifespan. Loss of bone density occurs when your bones start breaking down more than they are building up.

A few Risk Factors contributing to Osteoporosis

1. Gender: Women are 4 times more likely than men
2. Age: Over 50
3. Menopause: Due to fluctuations in estrogen, post menopausal women are more likely to develop osteoporosis
4. Family History: There may be certain genetic factors that place you more at risk
5. Smoking: Can block the absorption of calcium which is needed for bone growth
6. Inadequate Nutrition: Calcium and Vitamin D are crucial nutrients needed for bone health

Osteoporosis Diagnosis

Early diagnosis is crucial for osteoporosis, and is often diagnosed via DEXA scan – a quick, painless test that measures your bone mineral density.

This screening is recommended for:

• Women over 65
• Men over 70
• Postmenopausal women with risk factors

Unfortunately, many people find out that they have osteoporosis AFTER they experience a fracture in their bones. If you think you are at risk, talk to your doctor about getting screened. 

Exercise to Combat Osteoporosis

Bones respond to the force applied. This is why weight-bearing exercises are crucial to build up bone. 

The best time to start exercising to prevent osteoporosis is when you are a teenager. Unfortunately, most of us are older than that so the best time to start exercising to strengthen our bones is TODAY. 

Not all exercise is created equal for osteoporosis. Although low-impact exercises and cardio have wonderful health benefits, they DO NOT improve your bone density. 

One of the best studies for strength training done to date is the LIFTMOR study. LIFTMOR stands for Lifting Intervention For Training Muscle and Osteoporosis Rehabilitation. In this study, postmenopausal women trained with heavy weights for just 30 minutes, twice a week, and saw on average a 3% increase in lumbar spine bone density, and 13.6% increase in cortical thickness in the hip in just 8 months, compared to a control group.

This means that strength training resulted in:

1. Increased Bone Mineral Density (BMD) at the lumbar spine and hip regions. 
2. Improved Muscle Strength to better support bones and improve physical function
3. Enhanced Balance and Mobility which reduces the risk of falls
4. Improved Quality of Life as participants reported decreased pain levels and improved overall well-being

The participants in the experimental group engaged in a comprehensive strength training program that focused on the following exercises:

1. Resistance Training (Deadlift, Squats, Bicep Curls, Overhead Press)
2. Weight Bearing Exercises (Walking, Step Aerobics)
3. Balance and Flexibility Exercises

A comprehensive program like this can be intimidating to someone new to exercise. Unfortunately, many people are scared of lifting weights because they have not been taught how to do it correctly. 

This blog post will teach you how to perform a DEADLIFT with good form, so you can implement this exercise into your workouts and improve your bone density.

Performing the Deadlift for Osteoporosis

Deadlifts are a great exercise to combat osteoporosis, especially if your DEXA scan revealed osteoporosis or osteopenia in your Lumbar Spine and hips. 

The problem with deadlifts is that most people are scared of them! Many people have been told that deadlifts will injure your back. While of course sometimes people get injured while performing a deadlift, my argument is that NOT doing deadlifts will injure your back because you will be weak. 

Strengthening your muscles under appropriate load is important to reduce risk for injury. To make your body more resilient you must apply some stress. 

Let’s go step by step and I will teach you how I progress clients from beginner to competent in performing a deadlift. 

Breaking Down the Deadlift for Osteoporosis

What exactly is a deadlift? It is considered a hip-dominant exercise to strengthen your glutes, hamstrings, and lower back. The proper way to perform a deadlift is by hinging from your hips and lifting a weight off of the floor. 

This requires:

•  your hips to move separately from your lower back
• core strength to provide stability
• adequate body awareness to ensure proper form. 

Here is a video explaining how to perform a deadlift (we are demonstrating the Romanian Deadlift Variation here):

Now, you may not be ready to jump right into a deadlift even with the explanation above. Let’s break down the parts of the exercises.

Exercise #1: Glute Bridge

A glute bridge will help you perform a deadlift by teaching your body how to engage your glutes and hinge from your hips in a supported position. 

How to Perform a Glute Bridge:

• Lay Flat on your back with both knees bent
• Push your heels into the floor
• Lift your hips by squeezing your butt muscles together
• Do not arch from your lower back
• Slowly lower back down to the ground

Once you’ve conquered the glute bridge let’s move onto a core exercise. 

Exercise #2: Bird Dog

This exercise will help improve your core stability and control as well as teach your hips how to move without moving from your lower back. An added bonus is that this exercise is weight-bearing for your arms!

How to Perform Bird Dog:

• On all 4s in a tabletop position
• Keep your back in a neutral spine position
• Reach your opposite arm and leg straight out without arching your back
• Hold for 5 seconds and return to the starting position

Exercise #3: Tall Kneeling Hip Hinge

This exercise will teach us how to hinge from our hips which is required to perform a deadlift with proper form. The tall kneeling position decreases the difficulty of the exercise and allows us to concentrate on the hip movement. Holding a weight behind your body will assist your hips backward and teach your brain how to do this exercise more efficiently. 

How to Perform Tall kneeling Hip Hinge:

• Kneel on both knees (a soft foam pad or pillow works well to support yourself)
• Hold a light weight behind your back
• Push your hips back towards your heels
• Keep your chest uptight and don’t reach your head forward
• Squeeze your glutes to return to the upright position

Exercise #4: Standing Pull Through

Ultimately to perform the deadlift we have to get into a standing upright position. To make this exercise a little bit easier, using a band to help pull your hips back is a good place to start.

How to Perform Standing Pull Through:

• Stand facing away from an anchored resistance band
• Place your feet hip-width distance apart
• Hold onto the resistance band and slowly reach back behind your legs
• Your knees can bend slightly, but don’t turn this exercise into a squat!
• You should feel a slight stretch in the back of your legs
• Push your heels into the ground and squeeze your hips to return to the standing position 

Exercise #5: Deadlift for Osteoporosis

Now that you have broken down the exercise into parts you are ready to start deadlifting!

Tips 

1. Start with lightweights (or even body weight)
2. Progressive Overload: Slowly progress to heavier weights 
3. Consistency: Perform this exercise 2x/week
4. Stop and seek professional help if you are experiencing pain.

Key Takeaways: Deadlifts for Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is a major health concern for women over the age of 50. You have the power to take control over your bone health through strength training exercises such as Deadlifts. By gradually progressing through the exercises outlined in this blog post, you can build the necessary strength, stability, and proper form to perform deadlifts safely and effectively. 

Remember, consistency is key, so aim to incorporate these exercises into your routine at least twice a week. 

If you’re in the Farmingdale, NY area, take advantage of the opportunity to work with a professional and book a strength session with Samara HERE. 

Don’t let osteoporosis hold you back – take the first step today towards stronger bones and a better quality of life.

References:

1. https://www.womenshealthnetwork.com/bone-health/bone-strengthening-exercises/#Strength-training
2. Gomes, A., Costa, J., Alfenas, R., Ribeiro, A., & Motta, J. (2017). The Influence of a Patient Education Program in the Preoperative Period for Patients Undergoing Total Hip Replacement: A Randomized Clinical Trial. PLoS ONE, 12(3), e0172814. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0172814