Dancers, have you thought about your bone health lately? In recent years, it's been a quiet but nagging worry in the back of my mind. My story here has thankfully recently had a happy outcome. Beyond me, this story demonstrates the importance of keeping a long-term perspective in mind when it comes to health and wellness.
Getting disconnected from full health
To back up a bit, my bone health became at risk when I developed secondary amenorrhea (not having a regular menstrual cycle) as an underweight teenage dancer. I didn't know it at the time, but I was exhibiting a fairly classic case of what physicians and dieticians call Female Athletic Triad: disordered eating, amenorrhea, and osteoporosis (and its precursor osteopenia). A regular menstrual cycle is vital for fortifying women's bones and preventing bone issues.
In layperson terms, I wasn't eating (anywhere) near enough to fuel my body through my physically demanding dance schedule. You can find my more comprehensive eating disorder story here – I'll stay focused on longer-term health consequences in this piece.
In any case, with that off-balance energy in // energy out ratio, my body went into survival mode: therein using up reserves meant for reproductive function (read: my menstrual cycle) just to stay alive. The body is smart, and will do what it needs to do to maintain homeostasis (biological conditions necessary for life). So I lost my regular period, for at least a few years. I wasn't aware at the time, but the health implications there would go far beyond my teenage years.
Additionally, though it's hard to say for sure at this point, I might not have been getting enough calcium from my diet. My body therefore might have gone into calcium reserves in my bones. It was a perfect storm for bone loss.
Brittle bones, shaky health future
Thankfully, I overcome disordered eating and got to a healthy weight (I'll refer again to the piece of my eating disorder history for the fuller story there). That truly felt amazing. Little did I know that my very bones contained a ticking time bomb. Bone health, amongst health considerations, is a tricky thing: it's possible to not know there's an issue there until it's too late. It can be like a sleeping giant of threatened health and quality of life.
Diagnosis of osteopenia or osteoporosis takes a bone density test, which is not always easy to get ordered by your doctor (unless you're aware and being proactive, it takes your doctor being proactive) or covered by insurance. For me, my poor bone health was diagnosed through – interestingly enough – being a participant in a study on Female Athletic Triad and how it impacts health areas such as bone density.
My father, as a physician, was very worried about my bone density results – and let me know it. I knew that it wasn't good, especially being only in my late 20s; if that kept up at the current rate, what would my bones be like in my 50s, 60s, and beyond? Gulp. While I didn't think about it much at the time (or maybe I did, subconsciously?), what would my future dance life look like if my bones were in a state to shatter if I merely fell from a jump in the wrong way? Big gulp.
Back to full health: happy news
COVID brought me back to where I grew up, in Rhode Island (I've also written about that, here). Oh yes, it's been tough – but there have been many positive effects of coming back to my roots. One of those has been being able to attend to my health more seriously. I hate to admit it, but living in Boston and then NYC, I didn't prioritize that at the time – probably because I felt like I didn't have the time and money (perhaps justifiably). I also become vegan, and was further concerned that wouldn't help my bone density.
I would think about how I probably really needed to take care of my bone health issue and feel worried. Then I would get pulled elsewhere. Facepalm! My mom, with thirty-six years on me, had osteoporosis and was taking injections for it everyday. Would that be me soon? How old was I?! More facepalm!
I took calcium supplements, stayed active (as is just built into my dance and yoga life), and had lots of calcium in my vegan diet through things like certain fruits/vegetables and calcium-fortified almond milk (it’s doable!). But I never knew if it'd be enough.
I got my answer soon. I've been incredibly fortunate to have an awesome Primary Care Physician. After a year and change in Newport, she ordered me a Bone Density Scan, and – I was shocked to see – I got results back that day. I breathed a sigh of relief: my results indicated that my bone density is on the low end of a healthy range. Could be better, but could be a lot worse.
And I hadn't taken any medication; diet, activity, and having a regular menstrual cycle again (for several years) were enough to get back to a healthy bone density range. [To note: all of this is only my case: if your doctor recommends taking medication for better bone density scores, of course do so!]
I still have room to go; I'd love to get my bone density scores to the mid or high part of the healthy range. Yet all signs point to that if I keep doing what I'm doing, it'll get even better (and my doctor has confirmed that – but of course, I'll continue consulting with her on this).
3 big takeaways
So, why did I tell you this long(ish?) story? First, I want to encourage prioritization of your long-term health. My bone health might not have gotten better. I never would have known without getting the necessary tests. I also noticed how you have to be an advocate for, and active agent in, your own care; your doctor won't, and can't, pull all the weight.
Second, I want to emphasize the long-term there; your health now can have big impacts on your health down the road. In other words, it matters for more than how you feel and function right now. Dancers can face pressures to look a certain way, and from that deprive their bodies of the fuel they need. In other cases, it can just be tough to fuel adequately when you put so much out physically everyday.
I want to triple underscore for those dancers: help is there. You don't have to struggle alone. I'm on my knees asking you not to. Whatever pressures or challenges you might be facing right now, however real those might be or feel, you never know how you could be setting yourself up for bigger problems down the road.
Lastly, I'll end on a positive note: yes, health now can have ripple effects into your future health, but it's never too late. Things can get better – but it does take direct action. It takes work: eating in a way that truly fuels you, sleeping enough, seeing a doctor regularly (as regularly as you can – prioritizing that as much as you can). It can be hard, but it’s possible. Don't give up, and don't lose sight.
Ever heard the saying "if you don't have your health, what do you have?". That might particularly resonate for dancers. These bodies are our instruments, our connections to this art form that's stolen our hearts – and it's the only one we've got. It gives us so much. We need to give back by attending to our health as best we can. The reward that we'll get for that is dancing long and strong for many fulfilling, joyous, and dance-filled years to come.
All of this has been shared with all possible non-judgment and loving-kindness. Sending love and well-wishes!
Images courtesy of the authior