In just one year, Linda Kunhardt of Francestown went from an osteoporosis diagnosis to showing no signs of the disease.
The secret? She started taking part in the Francestown Recreation Department’s Bone Blasters program when it launched last November, and the results are astounding.
“My doctor absolutely could not believe it,” Kunhardt said.
Kunhardt’s first bone density test in 2020 showed she was already osteoporotic. While she’s active and fit, her genes and body type made her more likely to have osteoporosis: a weakening of the bones that comes with aging for many people.
“My doctor expected me to come out of osteoporosis and into osteopenia, which is the stage before you are osteoporotic, but I just shot off the charts,” Kundhardt said. “I am now completely free of any indication of bone density loss. I gained so much in one year, following this program, that my doctor spent five minutes reading my data. He thought he had the wrong chart.”
The class meets every Wednesday and Friday at 9:30 a.m. at Francestown Town Hall — free and open to the public. It’s based on Bone Builders, a program created by AmeriCorps and Tufts University, founded on research that gentle strength and resistance training improves bone density, muscle strength and balance. The National Institutes of Health funds it, and it’s designed specifically to prevent and reverse osteoporosis.
After NIH funding was slashed in 2026, the Francestown Recreation Department began funding the class, now called Bone Blasters, with the town paying the insurance. The classes are taught by volunteers.
In fall 2025, Jim and Janet Petrovito, who participated in a Bone Builders class near their summer home in Vermont, approached the town about starting the class. It was an immediate success.
“We’ve had 30 to 40 people in each class, and people love it,” said Bob Bitterli, chair of the Francestown Recreation Department.
The Petrovitos have led the class ever since, with volunteers Pam Berry and Richard Wharton filling in when they’re out of town.
“A lot of us have been doing this class ever since it started,” said Berry, who added that many participants hear about it from their doctors. Many have been diagnosed with osteoporosis.
Berry said class leaders mix things up a little each time to keep it interesting.
“It’s very consistent, but we incorporate some different things every time, because if you do the same routine every time, the benefits fall off,” Berry said. “The body is interesting; if you do the same routine every time, you are not challenged. You have to continue to challenge yourself.”
Kunhardt said she’s religious about attending twice a week to get the maximum benefits.
“If you don’t do it twice a week, you may stay stable, but you won’t increase your bone density. If you don’t do it the way the program is designed, you will continue to lose bone density,” Kunhardt said. “I can’t stop. Others might be able to stop, but I can’t stop.”
Kunhardt said she wishes she’d known about Bone Builders sooner.
“If I had known this 10 years before, I would have started before, but I didn’t know about it,” Kunhardt said. “It’s about being able to stay independent, to keep your balance and your strength and get dressed without help. It’s about being able to live your life.”
For more information about Francestown Bone Blasters, go to: https://www.francestownnh.org/1297/Recreation-Commission.