DEXA Scan Results Explained: What Your T-Score Means for Exercise
By Tanya Sharma, Clinical Content Lead and Exercise Physiologist
DEXA scan results explained simply. Understand your T-score meaning, osteopenia, and osteoporosis, and learn what exercise to do next.
If you’ve just received your DEXA scan results and are searching for what they mean, you’re in the right place.
Seeing terms like “T-score” and other different numbers can be confusing, and often a little confronting, but what does this actually mean for your bone health? And more importantly, what should you do next?
Understanding your T-score is the first step towards taking control of your bone health. And, the good news is that no matter what the results say, the right exercise can make a meaningful difference.
T-Score Mean & Why Does It Matter?
When you complete a DEXA scan, your bone mineral density is compared to that of a healthy young adult. The results give you a score, known as the T-score. This number helps determine whether your bone strength and density are within a healthy range. This information is valuable because the stronger your bones are, the lower the risk of fractures.
These are the ranges of T-scores that we look at:
● Normal: -1.0 or higher
● Osteopenia: Between -1.0 and -2.5
● Osteoporosis: -2.5 or lower
The lower your score is, the lower your bone density is, and the higher your fracture risk. For
example, if your T-Score is -1.8, this falls within the osteopenia category, indicating that your bone density is below average, however it isn't in the osteoporosis category.
Osteopenia vs Osteoporosis: What’s the Difference?
Think of a bone strength continuum; osteopenia represents the early stages and a warning sign that your bones are beginning to lose strength. This progresses toward osteoporosis, increasing bone fragility and fracture risk. Both conditions respond positively to the right kind of exercise and there is significant opportunity to improve bone health.
What does this mean for Exercise?
One of the biggest misconceptions is that having lower BMD means you should avoid challenging activities. However, exercise is one of the most effective ways we can mitigate fracture risk and protect our bones. Progressive strength training, and if safe, impact training [1,2] should be at the heart of your exercise program.
Not all Exercise is Equal
Walking, Pilates, and swimming are great for general health, but often do not provide enough stimulus to the bones to see meaningful changes. To maximise bone strength, evidence points toward exercises that apply multidirectional loading on the bones. This can be achieved through training causing high ground reaction force (think jumping) and lifting weights (and the heavier the better).
But wait, before jumping into this kind of training, there's a big caveat. Lifting heavy weights and jumping may not be a realistic way to exercise for everyone.
Don't let this intimidate you and get started with lighter weights focusing on learning exercise technique and developing consistency. Safely lifting heavy weights can be a long-term goal to work towards.
At Strength By Women, all our women begin with the foundations program before progressing onto the Bone Density Protocol.
We start from the beginning and guide you through what strength training looks like, progressing each program at your pace.
This means:
● Learning the basics; how to use your core and exercise technique
● Building power and balance to mitigate falls risk
● Targeting key areas to make the spine and hips stronger
● Building strength to support bone health
Ready to take Control of your Bone Health?
Our Bone density protocol is specifically designed for women with Osteopenia and Osteoporosis, using evidence-based strength training to help you safely build strength and support your bone health.
References
1. Xu J, Lombardi G, Jiao W, Banfi G. Effects of Exercise on Bone Status in Female Subjects, from Young
Girls to Postmenopausal Women: An Overview of Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses. Sports Medicine.
2016 Feb 8;46(8):1165–82.
2. Watson SL, Weeks BK, Weis LJ, Harding AT, Horan SA, Beck BR. High-Intensity Resistance and Impact
Training Improves Bone Mineral Density and Physical Function in Postmenopausal Women with Osteopenia
and Osteoporosis: the LIFTMOR Randomized Controlled Trial. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research. 2017
Oct 4;33(2):211–20.
