Cancer, osteoporosis and the power of exercise

Cancer treatment and osteoporosis. How can exercise help?

Awesome! I have my first osteoporotic fracture.

I’d love to say it was doing some kind of gnarly sport. But it wasn’t. It was an ‘extreme’ mobile phone injury. Completely inconsequential: I bent over with my phone in my pocket and wedged it into my rib.

I seriously didn’t think that it could be possible to break a bone like that.

But it turns out when you have osteoporosis, that’s all it takes!

Two years of hormone therapy and my bones are already significantly weakened.

It’s just another reminder that cancer doesn’t end when the chemo finishes. It really is a diagnosis for life.

I’m not upset about it. These things happen. And it’s not too sore any more (it happened a week ago). But it has spurred me into action.

So what am I doing about it?

Lifting weights and impact exercise.

Both of which are proven to strengthen bones.

Luckily, it’s very minor and the pain is already much better. I’m allowed to do what I like, within the limits of discomfort. So tomorrow, I am going to try a little run and go and lift a few weights - gently! - and see how that feels.

And take my calcium and vitamin d.

And in a month, I have a consultation with a specialist to see if I need bone infusions. I really hope not. I want to fight back with exercise first.

So that is my 2025 mission.

Beat osteoporosis and stay injury free!

What’s yours?