1 in 4 women 35–50 have low bone density. I’m one of them.
I turned 44 recently and got a surprise gift: osteopenia.
I’m one of the 26% of women 35-50 who have low bone density (Journal of the American Osteopathic Association 2019). After menopause? Over half of women have it.
My husband likes to joke that if I fall over I’ll break, which just got a little too real. A full-body DEXA scan (10/10 recommend) gave me the reality check I didn’t know I needed.
The good news: You can build new bone if you start early.
🤓 What to know: Muscle + bone = longevity power.
Muscle mass gets all the hype for good reason: Women over with low muscle mass are 63 times more likely to die early than their stronger counterparts. For men, the risk jumps 11x. (Journal of Bone and Mineral Research 2019).
But bone density is just as crucial:
- Women lose 10-20% of their total bone mass after menopause.
- Osteoporosis is 5x more likely in women 50+ than men.
- Women who fracture a hip have a 20% risk of dying within a year.
💪What to do: Get a DEXA scan if you’re over 30.
I lift weights, take my supplements, and track my hormones like it’s my side hustle. Still, my hips came back with a T-score of –1.8. Translation: low bone mass.
Everyone over 30 should have at least one full-body DEXA scan. By 35, you should be getting a DEXA with full body comp every 1-2 years.
A DEXA scan measures bone mineral density plus body composition (lean vs. fat mass). It’s:
- Non-invasive
- 20 minutes max
- Less radiation than a dental X-ray
- $75–$250 if paying out of pocket
Your doctor can order one for you or you can find them at sports medicine and longevity clinics, fancy recovery studios, and gyms.
⚠️Important tips:
- Make sure to ask for body composition data; insurance usually only covers the basic bone part.
- Make sure the facility has a radiologist (or it’s not a real DEXA)
- Consumer body composition tests (i.e InBody) ≠ DEXA (they don’t measure bone)
🎯 What you’re aiming for
Bone Density (T-score): +1 to –1 = Normal, –1 to –2.5 = Osteopenia, Below –2.5 = Osteoporosis
Lean Muscle Mass: 70–75% of total body mass = optimal for women, 80–85% = optimal for men
My stats? 72% lean, 24% fat. Pretty good. But to future-proof my body, I need more muscle. And that means gaining weight.
Look out for my bone-building protocol later this summer: weight training, creatine, rebounders, and some very nerdy tools I can’t wait to share!
⚡ Lightning Round
🥣 Fasting Reset: This year I used Prolon’s 5-Day Fasting Mimicking Program for my annual cleanse. It’s science-backed and a great way to get the benefits of autophagy (your body’s cellular clean-up crew), reduced inflammation, and reduced cancer risk without the hanger.
[Try it with this link and get 30% off!]
🦠 Gut Health: 70–80% of your immune system lives in your gut. I joined SuppCo as their gut health expert because I’ve seen over and over how optimizing your microbiome can transform everything from energy levels to mental clarity.
[Get my gut health protocols based on our Parsley treatments at SuppCo!]
🪲 Tick Tip: Lyme risk is way up this summer. 200 mg of Doxycycline within 24 hours can stop Lyme disease. Ask your doctor for a just-in-case script.
[WSJ has extra tick tips!]
💛 The Momgevity Files
This Fourth of July gave me two humbling reminders that as much as I’d love to control every variable…I can’t.
I’m meticulous about what my kids eat, what their toothbrushes are made of, and what goes into (and on) their bodies. So when my 8-year-old, off at his first sleepaway camp, told me he had Fruit Loops for breakfast? I nearly fell off my chair. My first instinct was to email the camp director: Where’s the protein?! Then I remembered: the only time I got to pick my cereal as a kid was on summer beach trips. Fruit Loops. Lucky Charms. Cocoa Puffs. I turned out okay.
Later that day, my 5-year-old—seemingly born without a fear gene—swam halfway across a huge lake, beaming. I flailed on the shore like air traffic control, motioning to my husband to shadow her. She was fine, wearing floaties, but when she swallowed too much water, I dove in myself.
That tension between protecting them and letting them stretch? So real. It mirrors a truth I keep bumping into: I can take the tests, eat the right foods, do the fasts and still have to let go sometimes.
Next week I’ll be at the beach, eating lobster rolls, sipping a cold (gluten-free) beer, reminding myself perfection isn’t the goal. Wholeness is. And sometimes that means watching your kid choose Fruit Loops and swim out on their own.
Here’s to health and trust, structure and softness, and knowing when to loosen the grip.
See you next week 🫶
Robin