EP357: Perry Eckert and OsteoStrong

Welcome to my podcast. I am Doctor Warrick Bishop, and I want to help you to live as well as possible for as long as possible. I’m a practising cardiologist, best-selling author, keynote speaker, and the creator of The Healthy Heart Network. I have over 20 years as a specialist cardiologist and a private practice of over 10,000 patients. Podcast Episode Summary Introduction Dr. Warrick Bishop hosts Perry Eckhart, master franchisor for OsteoStrong Australia and New Zealand, to discuss the unique health and wellness program designed to improve bone and muscle health. As a franchise co-owner himself, Dr. Bishop provides an insider's perspective while allowing Perry to explain OsteoStrong's origins, methodology, and vision for the future of preventative medicine. Key Takeaways: OsteoStrong uses specially designed Spectrum machines that apply axial loading (loads through the bone's axis) to trigger osteogenesis and naturally improve bone density, often reversing osteopenia and osteoporosis within 6-12 months. The program achieves dramatically higher loads than conventional gym equipment by positioning users at their biomechanically strongest point (approximately 120-degree joint angles), where muscles are 8-10 times stronger, enabling loads exceeding 500kg safely. Axial loading must exceed 4.2 multiples of body weight on the femur and hips to trigger bone density improvement, based on peer-reviewed research, distinguishing OsteoStrong from high-impact aerobics that only slow bone loss. The program requires only 10 minutes once per week and involves a single maximal effort rep per machine with no moving parts, resulting in an exceptionally low injury rate (400,000+ sessions in Australia without injury). A recent Monash University study showed female participants over 55 with osteoporosis achieved average strength increases of 124-145% across machines in eight months. Members report benefits beyond bone health, including reduced joint and back pain, improved balance, enhanced grip strength, and better blood glucose regulation due to increased muscle density. Perry's personal motivation stems from family history—his grandmother died following a hip fracture and his mother developed severe lifelong osteoporosis—driving his commitment to preventative medicine. Perry adopted a "biohacking" philosophy focused on optimizing healthspan (period of good health) rather than just lifespan, recognizing that modern sedentary lifestyles fail to activate the natural adaptive responses to environmental stimulus that built bone density in ancestral humans. The business model represents a "blue ocean" opportunity with proprietary robotic equipment unique in the marketplace, unlike saturated fitness assessment markets.