Can You Wear a Weighted Vest with Osteoporosis?

Aug 16, 2024

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The short answer is yes. The long answer here in this episode is how.

Using a weighted vest with osteoporosis comes up frequently as a question. Whether or not you have osteoporosis, stay with me, as I will talk about the overall benefits and science that’s been out since at least 2000, perhaps as long as I’ve been using my weighted vest.

Questions I’ll Answer in this Episode:

Can you use a weighted vest with osteoporosis? [00:06:20]
If so, how do you get started safely? [00:09:30]
What weight should you be using? [00:39:00]
What if you have already fractured? [00:06:30]
What if you have chronic upper back and neck pain? [00:40:20]

Within this episode I’ll show some images of my weighted vest and what you want to look for. They’re so much better now than they used to be! It was an injury weighting (see what I did there?) to just put one on two decades ago. And they definitely were not made for women.

I’ve been lecturing about osteoporosis and osteopenia since 1995. That first adult education class I taught was the first time I left my house without my infant son, I think!

Back then I had to draw pictures on the chalkboard of modeling and remodeling of bone, explain these then, new terms, and what was happening.

And… we had a list of contraindications that are no longer the best science we have.

While much of the decade-by-decade steps to build bone and then prevent or slow loss still are true, the veil of doom has been lifted.

We no longer have to pop someone into bubble wrap.

But you might think so because a search online will bring up ALL the content over decades. You’ll think you are a delicate flower and that oh, my you shouldn’t do rotation ever.

And this fear mongering has to end - not that you shouldn’t be informed about how to exercise correctly and what starting and progression looks like.

Breaking Barriers Using Weighted Vest with Osteoporosis

Back in 1996 I started working with one client, and then another would be diagnosed with osteoporosis. If you’re listening, Mary, you were the first to break some barriers and overcome the fear. You had a good doctor who understood the whole person, and the real way healed.

If I were concerned about osteoporosis, what I would do:

Resistance training - progressive overload to as heavy as safely possible. My preferred is 5 x 5 reps
Employ power in those workouts
High Impact - at least 4 sets of 10-20 impacts a day most days of the week
Moving during the day, breaking up sedentary periods of time, on non-exercise or recovery days (from strength training and HIIT with impact) the addition of weighted vest during walks or movement around house
Whole Body Vibration use most days of the week (in conjunction with strength training and for balance or core exercise. (I use the Move: https://www.flippingfifty.com/powerplate and you can get 20% off with code Flipping50)
Yoga consistently for the anti-gravity benefit of unique positions (and maintenance of mobility crucial to stability)

Though wearing a weighted vest did not have a significant positive impact on the lumbar spine, Whole Body Vibration does.

“lumbar spine BMD (MD: - 0.01; 95% CI [- 0.02, - 0.01]) reduced significantly when aerobic exercise training was used as intervention compared with RCTs that utilized resistance training, combined training, and WBV. By contrast, these analyses did not have significant effect on change in femoral neck BMD. WBV is an effective method to improve lumbar spine BMD in older PMW.”

References:

Mohammad Rahimi GR, Smart NA, Liang MTC, Bijeh N, Albanaqi AL, Fathi M, Niyazi A, Mohammad Rahimi N. The Impact of Different Modes of Exercise Training on Bone Mineral Density in Older Postmenopausal Women: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis Research. Calcif Tissue Int. 2020 Jun;106(6):577-590. doi: 10.1007/s00223-020-00671-w. Epub 2020 Feb 13. PMID: 32055889.

Snow CM, Shaw JM, Winters KM, Witzke KA. Long-term exercise using weighted vests prevents hip bone loss in postmenopausal women. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2000 Sep;55(9):M489-91. doi: 10.1093/gerona/55.9.m489. PMID: 10995045.

Shaw JM, Snow CM. Weighted vest exercise improves indices of fall risk in older women. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 1998 Jan;53(1):M53-8. doi: 10.1093/gerona/53a.1.m53. PMID: 9467434.

Other Episodes You Might Like:

Build Bone After Osteoporosis: https://www.flippingfifty.com/build-bone-after-osteoporosis/
Bone Health, Osteoporosis, Osteopenia Tips You’ve Never Heard: https://www.flippingfifty.com/bone-coach/
Exercise for Bone Density Then and Now: https://www.flippingfifty.com/exercise-for-bone-density/

Resources:

Synergee Weighted Vest Infinity Vest Workout Equipment - Body Cardio Walking or Running Vest - 20lbs: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07VQLDGPS?linkCode=ssc&tag=onamzvoicefor-20&creativeASIN=B07VQLDGPS&asc_item-id=amzn1.ideas.78VF9ZN2VWI0&ref_=aip_sf_list_spv_ofs_mixed_d_asin
Short Weighted Vest 12lbs - 50lbs: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001VE9RY4?linkCode=ssc&tag=onamzvoicefor-20&creativeASIN=B001VE9RY4&asc_item-id=amzn1.ideas.78VF9ZN2VWI0&ref_=aip_sf_list_spv_ons_d_asin&th=1