Cindy Lemieux never thought of herself as someone who lifts weights. For most of her life, the retired Baltimore-area teacher was a walker — 40 minutes a day, rain or shine — and figured that was enough.
It wasn’t.
When Cindy was diagnosed with osteoporosis two years ago, her doctors were direct: walking builds stamina, but it won’t build the muscle that protects your bones. She heard them. She just wasn’t ready to act. “I was hearing it, but not putting it into action,” she says.
What finally clicked was something she’d never been taught — that building muscle and building bone are the same fight. “When we were growing up, they never told us that weightlifting was good for us, particularly women,” she says. “They just didn’t educate us on the benefit.”
Once she understood that, everything changed. Cindy started strength training, twice a week, and committed to it. By February — just five months in — her DEXA scan delivered news she didn’t expect: she had reversed her osteoporosis in two of three measurements, dropping back to osteopenia. Her doctor’s message was clear: keep going, and she may eliminate it altogether.
Now 75, Cindy has a very specific reason to keep showing up. She has five grandsons, and the youngest one graduates high school when she’s 90. “I want to walk in there on my own power and celebrate with him,” she says.
She’s well on her way.
Holly Kouvo is a personal trainer, functional aging specialist, senior fitness specialist, brain health trainer, writer, and speaker.