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Building bone health: Battling against osteoporosis begins in gym

Sandy Ihlenfeld is a trainer at the YMCA in Butler.

Mother Nature is undefeated, and Father Time can be just as bad, but sometimes we can push back.

A survey conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics found that 11% of women, aged 65 and older, reported to be suffering from osteoporosis.

“Obviously what that is that you're dealing with a loss in bone density,” Butler Family YMCA Membership & Healthy Living Director Heidi Nicholls Bowser said. “What you really need is weightbearing exercises along with strength training. You want to work with gravity.”

Women in their later years tend to see a loss in bone density more than men due to their loss of estrogen.

Personalized training is viewed as the best way to combat osteoporosis. This way, the work outs can be tailored to the needs of each individual for the best results.

The Butler County Family YMCA is full of highly skilled personal trainers who know how to detect particular imbalances in each individual and then recommend a program that is best suited for them.

“The great thing about personal training is that they can customize it,” Bowser said. “This is off of where their imbalances are, where they need to improve flexibility, and it's really helpful to work with someone one-on-one.”

A portion of this story is shared with you as a digital media exclusive. To read the full story and support our local, independent newsroom, please subscribe online.

Ellen Garbuny, 66, of Butler works out with trainer, Evonne Patterson of the Butler YMCA.Harold Aughton/Butler Eagle
Ellen Garbuny, 66, of Butler works out with trainer, Evonne Patterson of the Butler YMCA.Harold Aughton/Butler Eagle
Samantha Drohan, of Butler, works out at the Butler YMCA Thursday morning.Harold Aughton/Butler Eagle
Above, Bernadette Gallo, of Butler, works out at the Butler YMCA Thursday morning. At right, Ellen Garbuny, 66, of Butler, works out with trainer Evonne Patterson of the Butler YMCA.Harold Aughton/Butler Eagle
Bernadette Gallo of Butler works out at the Butler YMCA Thursday morning.Harold Aughton/Butler Eagle
Ellen Garbuny, 66, of Butler works out with trainer, Evonne Patterson of the Butler YMCA Wednesday morning.Harold Aughton/Butler Eagle
YMCA trainers, from left, Yvonne Patterson, Sandy Ihlenfeld, Heidi Nicholls Bowser, offer personalized training to help fight osteoporosis.HAROLD AUGHTON/BUTLER EAGLE
Ellen Garbuny, 66, of Butler works out with trainer, Evonne Patterson of the Butler YMCA.Harold Aughton/Butler Eagle

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