Yoga Poses for Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is considered a “silent disease” with no symptoms or warnings signs, but can be prevented and treated through regular weight bearing exercise with proper diet and lifestyle habits. Yoga is an excellent weight bearing exercise as it stimulates bone building for both the upper and lower body while being low-impact.
All standing poses will bear weight on the bones in the lower spine, the hips and the legs, encouraging them to strengthen. While standing balancing poses will not only build bone but improve balance to reduce the risk of falls, these poses should be practiced with caution and utilize a chair or wall for support if necessary. Simple back bending poses help to strengthen the spine as well as help prevent and correct kyphosis (excessive curvature of the upper spine).
Start slow with simple yoga poses and gradually build up the length and difficulty of the postures and your practice. Increasing the intensity of your yoga practice will build stronger bones, but never push yourself past your edge to reduce any risk of injury. When you feel ready to crank your practice up a notch you can experiment with the advanced strengthening poses.
Forward bending poses and twisting poses are highly cautioned and often contraindicated to practice with Osteoporosis. Please consult your doctor to find out what movements are safe for your stage of Osteoporosis.
Osteoporosis is considered a “silent disease” with no symptoms or warnings signs, but can be prevented and treated through regular weight bearing exercise with proper diet and lifestyle habits. Yoga is an excellent weight bearing exercise as it stimulates bone building for both the upper and lower body while being low-impact.
All standing poses will bear weight on the bones in the lower spine, the hips and the legs, encouraging them to strengthen. While standing balancing poses will not only build bone but improve balance to reduce the risk of falls, these poses should be practiced with caution and utilize a chair or wall for support if necessary. Simple back bending poses help to strengthen the spine as well as help prevent and correct kyphosis (excessive curvature of the upper spine).
Start slow with simple yoga poses and gradually build up the length and difficulty of the postures and your practice. Increasing the intensity of your yoga practice will build stronger bones, but never push yourself past your edge to reduce any risk of injury. When you feel ready to crank your practice up a notch you can experiment with the advanced strengthening poses.
Forward bending poses and twisting poses are highly cautioned and often contraindicated to practice with Osteoporosis. Please consult your doctor to find out what movements are safe for your stage of Osteoporosis.
No comments:
Post a Comment