Yoga for Osteoporosis

Practicing yoga is a great way to reduce stress, improve your balance, build strength, and increase mind-body awareness. But did you know that yoga may also increase bone density and help prevent osteoporosis? Osteoporosis is a common chronic condition in which the bones become brittle and fragile from loss of tissue. It affects millions of people around the globe and more than more than half of people over the age of 50 in the U.S. It can lead to painful fractures, hunched posture, chronic pain, long-term disability and even death.

Benefits of Practicing Yoga for Osteoporosis

Low impact, bone-strengthening exercises can help stave off osteoporosis. Although there are medications to treat osteoporosis, many of them have side effects such as nausea, heartburn and stomach pain. When done correctly, yoga strengthens bones without stressing joints, and stretches muscles, ligaments and bones from almost every possible angle. This means yoga also may also stimulate the formation of bone structure. Increased bone density can make your bones less prone to fracture, so if you do fall, it may be less likely that you’ll suffer a severe, life-changing injury such as a hip or spine fracture.

A recent study published in Topics in Geriatric Rehabilitation demonstrated that those who practiced a specific sequence of yoga for osteoporosis every other day for two years showed significant increases in bone density in the spine at the end of the study.
Yoga not only helps to strengthen your muscles and bones, it provides many other benefits that enhance your overall physical and emotional well-being. Some additional benefits of practicing yoga for osteoporosis include:

  • Better breathing
  • Increased energy and vitality
  • Weight loss
  • A more balanced metabolism
  • Better circulation
  • Enhanced athletic performance
  • Improved mental clarity
  • Relief from anxiety and depression

Proper Alignment Is Key When Practicing Yoga for Osteoporosis

While the benefits of yoga for osteoporosis are many, if you’re new to yoga it is crucial to learn how to practice postures and poses with proper alignment. Each joint, socket and part of the body has an optimal alignment. When joints are properly aligned, you can get peak stimulation of the bones and significantly improve your balance.
For example, quite a few yoga poses require you to lift and open your chest, which stimulates the bones in the area and can help prevent the “stoop” that often accompanies osteoporosis. If you have osteoporosis, attempting to practice yoga without proper instruction and attention to alignment can actually lead to injury. There are many different styles of yoga, and an experienced yoga instructor at a Palm Harbor yoga studio can assist you with learning proper technique and alignment.

Contact East West Healing Solutions to Learn More about the Benefits of Yoga for Osteoporosis

The experienced healing instructors at East West Healing Solutions can help you discover how yoga for osteoporosis can improve your health and transform your life. Contact one of the most popular yoga studios in Palm Harbor at 727-216-3972 today to learn about our wellness studio.