05/06/2026
This is Vikki. I met Vikki 3 years ago, when I was working private practice in Ulverstone. Now, she will choose to travel 3 hours on a bus to see me in Hobart. Her reason for being there was the same story as many people around Australia.
Vikki was diagnosed with Osteoporosis at 63. A condition that over 1 million of Australians live with, predominantly women over the age of 50. It refers to a loss of bone mineral density - that is how strong and well structured our bones are. A diagnosis of Osteoporosis has typically meant that the bones are very weak, and is a major reason why fractures occur in the elderly. This usually results in hospitalisation, a decline in confidence, mobility, freedom and often leads to a shift into a nursing home. Not many people come back out of a nursing home.
Luckily, our story is a positive one. Vikki took to her training with me with a genuine desire to improve her life. Her initial understanding of her condition, and why she was there, was very limited. Her GP had sent her to a specialist, who sent her to a physiotherapist, who sent her to me, an Exercise Physiologist. This is the reality for many, and a difficulty with our health system.
We started gently, undoing layers of uncertainty around her condition, and building confidence in what Vikki was capable of, each session leaving her with a new “challenge” and what became a fond expression of joy: “I’ve got a Spring in my Step”.
Through her consistent, positive and disciplined nature, Vikki was able to reverse her decline, and has improved her bone mineral density, her condition now referred to as Osteopenia. Part of this means that she no longer has a heap of medical appointments taking up her time, and can be more present for her grandchildren, actively playing and enjoying that time.
I’ve been given Vikki’s permission to share her story, in the hope it will encourage other people to take control of their health and not rely on a medical system to do the right thing for them. There are so many special moments in Vikki’s journey I look forward to sharing, but why not start your exercise journey and experience them for yourself.
