‘A stronger body ensures I experience less pain’

Marianne Filius (63) has been a passionate athlete at Happy Bodies Heemstede for about seven years. What's special is that Marianne has osteoporosis. This doesn't stop her from continuing to enjoy her workouts. By strengthening her back and abdominal muscles, she regularly enjoys pain-free periods. In this blog post, Marianne explains why she believes this form of training is so beneficial for her body.

We'll see about that.

I work as a project manager for the municipality of Haarlemmermeer, am the mother of three adult children, a grandmother of two grandchildren, and live with my boyfriend, who also has three children. It's a busy life. I've been working out at Happy Bodies in Heemstede for about seven years now, and I'm very satisfied. About three years ago, I was diagnosed with osteoporosis. Because my bones are very fragile, I have several intervertebral fractures, which can cause significant back pain. The doctors told me I'd just have to learn to live with it. We'll see, I thought, and rightly so. Strength training has proven to be very good for me. It strengthens the back muscles surrounding those fractures. My core is also getting stronger, which in turn puts less strain on my back. My body is quite strong, and I regularly have periods without pain.

Correct exercises at the correct intensity

Rémon, my trainer at Happy Bodies, encouraged me to start training with heavier weights. Many people with a condition like this tend to stay on the couch and spare their bodies. But if you do it under good supervision, it is actually better to challenge your body. The unique thing about Happy Bodies is that everyone can train there. When you start, the innovative Milonizer quickly scans your body based on biometric markers. This ensures that all equipment is always set up correctly automatically, even if you have physical complaints. This way you always get the right exercises at the right intensity, very well-balanced. And working out in the Milon circle a maximum of once every 5 days for 35 minutes is very manageable. No, my osteoporosis is not going away, but because I have made my body stronger, I experience hardly any pain anymore. How great is that?!