Weightlifter Sharon Lederer is proving that, even with osteoporosis. For over a year, Lederer has been working with senior performance coach, Chris Slocum, at the Memorial Hermann IRONMAN Sports Medicine Institute.
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"I thought it was going to be easy, but it was really difficult," said Lederer. "I've been working with Chris for the last year and a half, trying to get stronger, and I have gotten stronger."
Osteoporosis makes your bone brittle, so many stay away from weights, but Sharon's doctor recommended weightlifting to add to her bone density.
"There is a big fear there that you don't want to lift, or fracture because my bones are brittle," says Brian Duncan, Director of Human Performance at Memorial Hermann IRONMAN Sports Medicine Institute.
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"The truth is your bones are brittle but as long as you are on the right nutrition plan, starting that loading in a gradual manner is absolutely what your bones need," he said.
Even in her mid-50s, Lederer is in the best shape of her life.
"I work out here, I run outside, I do barre class, I am just active," she said. "It's a lifestyle, it is not a short-term solution."