A journey to increasing bone strength
Though I wasn’t very physical as a kid, I became an “adult-onset” lover of fitness in my 20s, and have enjoyed walking, running, hiking and exploring the outdoors ever since. So in 2017, when I was diagnosed with osteoporosis, I couldn’t believe it. Two years later, I fell and broke my wrist. When I had my bones tested again in 2022, it turned out that along with 54 percent of U.S. women in their 70s, I had osteopenia — a milder version of osteoporosis. An improvement but, obviously, not good enough.
Then, about a year ago, two women I know had serious falls. One fractured several vertebrae; the other, while running after her toddler granddaughter, broke her heel and her opposite wrist. Alarmed by their falls, I woke up and decided hiking wasn’t enough; I had to do strength training.
I knew form was important, so I decided to start by hiring a trainer. My goal was to increase not only my strength but also my flexibility, as I’m limited by hardware in my right ankle from a serious break 45 years ago. In particular, I wanted to squat well enough to be able to pee in the woods. (My husband Barry and I have a campervan, and I had noticed on a recent trip that it was getting increasingly hard for me to squat.)
“That’s functional fitness!” my trainer laughed when I described my goal. “Functional fitness” refers to exercises that mimic the movements we use in everyday life, such as bending, lifting, and twisting. She gave me a wedge so I could squat on an incline. It made all the difference, and that success inspired me.
By the time I’d completed two sessions, I had a list of portable strength exercises I could do anywhere. In our Old Town apartment, I have three kettlebells and a yoga mat. These are all I need, since many of the exercises I do are bodyweight, using the body’s own mass as resistance against gravity.
Armed with my list of exercises, I thought I’d embark right away on a routine, but I got distracted. A couple of weeks later, though, when a friend told me she was training to be a life coach, I offered myself as a practice trainee. In our first session, I told her I’d commit to three workouts a week, 20 to 30 minutes long. Although my goal was 30 minutes, I decided 20 would suffice at first, just to get over my resistance.
Less than an hour after our first session, I unrolled my yoga mat and worked out. I was already primed — all I needed was a bit of encouragement. Seeing her a few times, along with texting her after each workout, was just the impetus I needed. I was off.
That was a year ago. Since then, I’ve added more strength, Pilates, balance and core exercises. I draw from such sources as the New York Times 9-Minute Strength Workout, The Washington Post 7-Minute Workout and exercises from the Mayo Clinic. Along with lifting kettlebells, I do squats, planks, lunges, push-ups and more on my yoga mat.
One of the simplest exercises, “farmer’s walk,” involves holding a kettlebell high above your shoulder, or holding one in each hand, while you stride across the room. Since my kettlebells aren’t the same size, I walk across the room holding one in each hand and then swap them and walk back.
In the evenings, I look up strength exercises to add to my portfolio and learn more about the core. (What does “engaging the abs” mean, anyway?) I discovered it refers to squeezing all of the muscles in the torso and holding them in a tightened position while still breathing normally.)
I’m a huge fan of record-keeping, having read long ago that ago that tracking your progress in and of itself brings about change, so I record my workouts in my journal. I also sent my trainer a photo of me doing squats. She wrote back, “This made my day! Look at that squat depth. Love to see it!” She was also delighted that I’d added Pilates, “a great way to cultivate bodyweight strength and build your core from all sides.”
I’ve accomplished my original goal of being able to squat and am going strong: carrying heavy objects longer, strengthening my core and bending more easily. What I didn’t expect was how important my routine would become.
Soon after I start, a calm, quiet hush settles over me. No one is around, and I hear only my breathing and the sound of birds twittering. The half hour has unexpectedly become one of my favorite routines, a time to slow down, unwind and appreciate my body.
Louisa Rogers (she/her) is a writer, painter and paddleboarder who lives in Eureka and Guanajuato, Mexico.
This article appears in Health and Wellness 2026.