Build Your Bones and Extend Your Quality of Life: Yoga and Osteoporosis

May is National Osteoporosis month, which also coincides with Women’s Health Month, and since yoga makes a big difference for those dealing with Osteopenia and Osteoporosis, both women and men, I’m sharing essential and helpful information on this crucial topic during this awareness month.

 This is personal for me. The final health assault for my mother was a broken hip which required emergency surgery. She passed away weeks later. Despite a healthy lifestyle, I was diagnosed with Osteopenia through a DEXA scan several years ago. I credit my regular yoga practice with keeping my condition stable and not worsening to Osteoporosis.

 Osteopenia is bone loss that is the precursor to Osteoporosis. The latter is a condition in which bones become fragile and are more likely to break.  The most common fractures are of the spinal column, hip and wrist. Since we don’t experience pain or other symptoms from bone loss, we may not know we have it until a fracture happens. Vertebral fractures of the spine are the most insidious, involving tiny breaks, especially at the front of the spine. These types of fractures go undiagnosed, causing forward posture, which in turn leads to increased risk of falls and more fractures.

 As if that’s not enough to be concerned, here are other reasons we should care: Osteoporosis impacts more than 200 million women worldwide. It’s more common for men than prostate cancer. Osteoporosis and fracture risks are higher in women than in men, partially due to differences in bone mineral density, bone size and strength. Hormonal changes in women as we age also contribute to the difference.

 A full 25% of Americans die within a year of a hip fracture (my mother), and another 25% will never leave a skilled nursing facility after a hip fracture*. We lose our mobility and our independence.

 Now for the good news: Bone cells grow stronger and denser with the practice of yoga. Yoga gives extraordinary beneficial stress to the bones through gravity and weight bearing, and, from the pull of muscles on the bones. (Ellen Saltonstall, CIYT, Yoga for Osteoporosis)

 According to a 10-year study by Loren Frishman, MD, et al*, Yoga is a low cost and less dangerous alternative to medications and can reverse bone loss. The benefits include better posture, improved balance, enhanced coordination, greater range of motion, higher strength, reduced anxiety and better gait (walking).

 As a yoga teacher who is trained to teach to people with osteoporosis, I can adapt the poses and sequences, so they are safe and effective. In addition to traditional gentle mat classes tailored to your abilities, a carefully crafted chair yoga session offers bone strengthening and all the advantages mentioned previously.

 As far as my personal practice is concerned, my lesson was to give up poses such as head stand and plow for the benefit of the long-term health of my neck. I didn’t want to surrender these poses or other accomplishments due to aging or compromised health. My ego took a hit. However, I adapted different inversions and poses by utilizing more props (head stand bench), and “legs up the wall” pose that support my body and my practice so I can benefit from yoga well into old age.

 It’s been an important life lesson-to learn to pivot to something better suited to my condition and stage in life, to give up what no longer serves me and be resilient enough to find something better in its place. This of course is a lesson that applies both to yoga and other areas of our lives as we mature.

 Yoga Osteoporosis Tips

·      Hold a pose for a minimum of 12 seconds – up to 72 seconds to get the full benefit for bone health.

·      Keep the spine extended vs rounded, especially in forward folds. Bending your knees can further help.

·      Practice minimum 2-3 times a week for 30 minutes or more.

·      Use props such as blocks, blankets and a chair to fully support yourself in your practice.

·      Sit on the floor with support of blankets or blocks to prevent rounding of your spine.

·       Never force twists. Twists should be done with an extended spine and never twist further than your body will naturally rotate.

 Eat healthy foods to prevent osteoporosis: calcium building foods such as deep leafy greens, almonds, soybeans (non GMO), dairy products, rhubarb, and sardines.

 Get tested. If you’ve never had a DEXA scan, a type of x-ray to diagnose bone density, or if you’re overdue for a follow up, I hope this information inspires you to make that appointment.

 The practice of yoga is empowering mentally as well as physically. We improve body awareness and movement, balance, coordination, strength and our sense of self-care.

 Join me for a free osteoporosis workshop on May 29, which includes a discussion followed by a gentle, and effective practice suited to those concerned about and those with a diagnosis of osteoporosis. If you can’t attend the live Zoom workshop, you can receive the recording if you register.

 To have a conversation with me, Email your name and number directly to yoga@janetwenger.com. Grab a friend and start reaping the health benefits of yoga now!

 *Twelve-Minute Daily Yoga Regimen Reverses Osteoporotic Bone Loss

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4851231/