Weight Training to Increase Bone Density?

My mom is is her 50's and over the last 2 years has been diagnosed with osteopenia. She has been getting DEXA scans and her spine is now so bad as to be considered osteoporosis. 

She walks most days and uses leg weights sometimes, so she isn't losing much more hip (lower-body) density.

I am about to start working with her on an upper-body weight-lifting program, soemthing I wish she'd been doing all along.  I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions for exercises to focus on or those to avoid?

I was just going to show her an abreviated version of my own program - namely 1-2 exercises each for chest, back, shoulders, bi's and tri's (lower body another day). Also, is it correct that she should try to push to exhaustion? Despite her bones, my mom is really strong!

I'd love any info or thoughts! 

Karatedepot.com has these weight vests that are good for people with that condition...it increases their spinal bone density...check it it out

hope this helps....

Potter

You can also find weight vests or belts at lots of places like WalMart, Sports Academy, and many places that have fitness equipment. 

I just wanted to say that I think it's awesome that you're helping your Mom this way.  I wish my mother would have listened to me when I tried to get her to use weights in her younger years to improve her osteoporosis.  Unfortunately, she didn't, and now at 81, has very serious osteoporosis -- her spine is curving dramatically.  I worry all the time that she'll fall and that will be it for her -- a nursing home or worse.  She lives with me, so I keep the house as trip-barrier free as possible, but I still worry.

You are a good daughter!

And it DOES work!  I'm 53, my mother is 73 - we have both worked on maintaining muscle mass  - for strength and bone support.  She skis nearly every day in the winter and races NASTAR - the amateur ski racing - also goes to ski race clinics.  She has done a much better job at managing weight than I have but hopefully I'm on track now.  I am very active and stronger than I was in my 20's before starting regular strength training in my 30's.

I think the heavier she can lift the better it is to help the bones.

Yes bone density is maintained by lifting weight. It is the bodies normal reaction to the stress provided. As we get older there are several things to consider in addition to weight lifting....

What we eat. Any Body Builder/Athlete will tell how you eat dictate performance, and dictaes the real benefits you gain from weight lifting. If you don't supply the muscles and bones the proper nutrtion, you will quickly reach the threshold of and benefits. Actually once you reach this threshold, your performance and body will degrade. You'll feel worse than the first week(lactic acids), and the desire to go on will stop.

Second, how you lift is the other component. Don't assume that the more weight you lift the better. If you do it wrong, there will be no benefit period. An example is doing improper squats( going down half way, and feeling you can pound on the weight)

What happens is a) you train your ligiments to only have strength for the one part of the motion. b) the complimentary muscles don't get anything from it c) your body see no means to add bone density. What happens in turn, when you hit that wieght that you don't quite support, snapped ligiments, an possible broken bones ( if lucky), Bone splinters are wore pain wise.

So yes lifting helps, but make use of all three components here. I add this advice, being 45 and having experienced the down falls of all of this, in the early year. I still bench 400+, squat 550+, and deadlift 600+. Alot of the kids in the gym don't understand, hence they look at me as some freak(lol- more like an old gezer that lifts alot). I just say, lift smarter which will equal more!(Benefits)