Getting out the door to that two-hour class is a problem in itself. I have to leave work right on time, so I have time to get home, clean out the chicken coop, lift dumbbells and other exercise, eat, go get Kitty, and drive to class.

Dolly has started doing the coop in the morning this week because it's dark so early in the evenings, so that's off my plate. My point is that all that often gets rushed and I don't like it. The "other exercise" includes tai chi so far, but the whole experience isn't very de-stressing if everything is rushed like that so I can get out the door again.

I looked at a fitness magazine and a couple weight training books last weekend. The exercise routines "promise" results in a month or two. While I'm not doing enough weight lifting to be considered body building, I would at least like to see some sort of change. More definition, lose some fat, or gain a little muscle mass. I've been going to Kempo class and lifting dumbbells for months now, but nothing. The point of all this exercise is the long-term goal of bone strengthening, but it would be nice to see some sort of difference. I'm thinking stronger, bigger muscle attached to stronger bone. I work the muscles to fatigue and feel "pumped" afterward, but don't get anywhere beyond that.

I wandered in the vitamin and "supplements" chain store in the mall to look around. Not sure what I was looking for. Something to help with an improvement. I bought some protein powder. More protein is supposed to help with skin, bone, and muscle, so I'll give that a try.

They have a number of "supplements" too, but those make a lot of promises. Those are supposed to help with testosterone, fat reduction, etc. I have no idea what is useful or works, or whether I should just wait a year and see what the next bone scan shows.

It seems to be part of a pattern that I'm looking for more ... intensity. Maybe I'm just ignoring what's inside of me, what ever that is, and trying to do the right thing, whatever that is. I have written about that before. I want to be doing the right thing.

I wrote the above on Tues evening, but since then haven't had time to post anything.

Since then, Fredo reposted a news article from the NY Times about exercise, which included a paragraph about osteoporosis. It indicated that some study showed that weight-bearing exercise is only indirectly beneficial due to increased muscle strength and balance, which helps to prevent falls. Exercise didn't do anything to improve the bone directly. I contacted the author for more information about that study.

When I was looking for more information about it on the Times' web page, I found another article by the same author about calcium and vitamin D supplements and their effect on osteoporotic patients. The results showed only a marginal effect and the conclusion of the article was that drugs are effective.

Ugh.