Karen McKinney, 67, is not new to the Y but rejoined when she learned she had developed osteopenia - a precursor for osteoporosis, a bone disease where bones become weak and may break from a fall.
“My bone density went down to a negative 2.4 and that’s important because negative 2.5 and above is when they start you on medicine. The doctor wanted to avoid that,” Karen says. “I started being really serious about my exercise.”
Karen attends Enhance®Fitness, SilverSneakers® and Dance Fusion classes at the South Tampa Family YMCA. “I had joined before but wasn’t taking advantage of all the classes,” she explains. “When they did another bone scan, it was up to 1.7. The doctor was so excited and said, ‘Don’t come see me for two years unless you’re sick.’”
When the doctor asked Karen what she was doing differently. She told him she joined the Y instead of just lifting weights. He said, “Keep it up!” Both Karen’s mother and grandmother had osteoporosis. “Now that I realized this is working, I can’t wait to see what the results of the tests are going to be,” she says.
Karen is at the Y five days a week. She still works out on the machines and lifts weights but says the classes keep her accountable. “You have to be here (at a certain time) but the instructors are also good. They encourage you to want to do well,” she explains. “It’s nice to be able to have some place to be and have fun doing it.”
After the interview, Karen was off to another class and then to a SilverSneakers potluck luncheon held the second Tuesday of every month at the South Tampa Y.
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Pictured above: A member of the Y in the 1970s, Karen McKinney recently rejoined the South Tampa Y when she learned she was at risk of developing a bone disease.
