Your doctor said “exercise more.” Then you went looking for a trainer or a class and found a hundred options and no way to tell which ones build bone and which ones only build sweat. This page is the guide we wish every Austin woman had before she chose.
A bone-building exercise program for osteoporosis needs a load high enough to signal new bone (research points to roughly 4.2 times body weight), spine-safe positioning, supervision, balance work, and measurement. Most classes and training plans help strength and balance but stay below that load. OsteoStrong’s coached 15-minute weekly session reaches it with no impact, at centers in Austin and Georgetown.
Every option below has a place. The question is which one does the job you need done.
| Option | Load on bone | Time per week | Impact | Typically best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Personal trainer | Moderate; depends on the trainer’s bone-health training | 2 to 3 sessions | Varies | General strength, accountability, confidence |
| Pilates, yoga, and senior classes | Low | 2 to 3 classes | Low | Posture, flexibility, balance, community |
| Physical therapy | Low to moderate, clinically dosed | A prescribed course | Low | After a fracture, pain, posture problems; often insurance-covered |
| Supervised heavy lifting (for example, Onero) | High | 2 supervised sessions | Includes jumping | People who can safely lift heavy barbells |
| Osteogenic loading at OsteoStrong | Very high, self-generated | One 15-minute session | None | Osteopenia and osteoporosis, fracture worries, busy schedules |
These combine well. Many of our members keep their Pilates class or their trainer and add one OsteoStrong session for the bone signal. After a recent fracture, physical therapy usually comes first, and we coordinate with your physician before your first session.
A good trainer will welcome them. Bring your DEXA report to the first meeting.
Onero is a supervised heavy resistance and impact training program from The Bone Clinic in Australia, using the high-intensity approach studied in the LIFTMOR trials. It works up to heavy deadlifts, squats, and overhead presses, plus jumping, and it is delivered through licensed providers. Check Onero’s own website for current Austin-area locations.
If you are comfortable under a loaded barbell, it is a legitimate option. If a barbell feels like one bad rep away from the fracture you are trying to prevent, osteogenic loading reaches high bone loads with no barbell and no jumping. We compare the two honestly in Onero vs. OsteoStrong, and look at the research in does weight lifting work for osteoporosis?
Our four devices (chest press, core pull, leg press, vertical lift) put you in your strongest position and let you push against a fixed, immovable resistance. Because you generate the force yourself, you only ever produce what your body chooses to, and members commonly produce four to seven times their body weight without impact, far above the level a barbell safely allows at 70.
A certified coach stands beside you for all 15 minutes. Every session is logged, so you watch your force numbers climb week by week. As bone gets stronger, our coaches progress your joint angles in small increments to keep the stimulus above threshold. Our session protocols are reviewed on an ongoing basis with the physicians who refer to us.
See each device or read what a 15-minute session actually feels like.
Among members who follow the weekly protocol and complete a follow-up DEXA, 8 out of 10 see measurable improvement. Consistency and starting point matter most.
Every number follows our published verification standard.
Yes, the right kind is one of the most important things you can do. The Bone Health & Osteoporosis Foundation recommends weight-bearing and muscle-strengthening exercise plus balance work for people with osteoporosis. The key is loading bone progressively while avoiding the specific movements that stress a fragile spine.
The movements most often flagged are bending forward from the waist under load (sit-ups, toe touches, rounded-back lifting), twisting the spine to its end range, and high-impact or jarring movements if your fracture risk is high. Ask your physician which apply to you, and make sure any trainer or class knows your DEXA results.
Exercise that loads bone hard enough can raise bone density. Most everyday exercise stays below the load that triggers new bone, which is why walking, yoga, and light weights help strength and balance but rarely move a DEXA. Among OsteoStrong members who follow the weekly protocol and complete a follow-up DEXA, 8 out of 10 see measurable improvement. More in can you reverse osteoporosis without medication?
A personal trainer builds general strength through repetitions with weights or bands. OsteoStrong focuses on one thing: a brief, very high, self-generated load on four devices, positioned so you can safely produce several times your body weight in force with no impact. It takes about 15 minutes once a week, and every session is measured. Many members also work with a trainer or take classes for general fitness.
Austin has Pilates studios, senior strength classes, and physical therapy clinics with bone-health programs. OsteoStrong has two centers: Austin at 13749 Research Blvd (serving northwest Austin, Cedar Park, Leander, and Round Rock) and Georgetown at 900 N Austin Ave (serving Georgetown, Sun City, and Round Rock). Sessions are one-on-one with a coach, not group classes.
Onero is a supervised heavy resistance and impact training program from The Bone Clinic in Australia, delivered through licensed providers. Check Onero’s own website for current Austin-area locations. If heavy barbell lifting is not a fit for you, osteogenic loading at OsteoStrong reaches high bone loads with no barbell and no jumping.
Click the button below and book your free 15-minute Bone Health Roadmap Call. We’ll answer your questions, review your DEXA if you have one, and tell you whether OsteoStrong is the right fit. No pressure. No gym clothes. Just a clear next step.
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