People who are concerned about bone loss may want to try yoga for osteoporosis. This type of exercise helps to strengthen bones, which can delay the onset of this disease. It might also increase agility and flexibility, making it less likely for an individual to fall. Poses that target the back muscles could help prevent a curvature of the spine, which can sometimes be caused by osteoporosis.
Doctors have long conceded to a connection between osteoporosis and exercise, recognizing that people who stay physically fit develop this disease later in life and suffer fewer fractures as a result. This is especially true for individuals who practice strength-building routines. As a result, yoga for osteoporosis can delay the onset of this disease, especially if the poses are done in conjunction with light weights.
Another benefit of yoga for osteoporosis is that it can help prevent falls that could cause a fracture. This is because yoga tends to increase agility, which can help people move around better as they grow older. Yoga's focus on flexibility can help a person have a wider range of motion so she is able to "catch" herself before she suffers a fall. The hero pose and the wide angle pose are two that increase hip flexibility and, therefore, help prevent falls.
Many yoga poses help strengthen the back, which could prevent a curvature of the spine due to this disease. In fact, the back is often one of the first areas of the body affected by osteoporosis in its early stages. A few of the poses that strengthen the spine include the camel pose, cobra pose, and supported bridge pose. When doing yoga for osteoporosis of the back, people should be careful not to stretch the spine too far, as this could cause an injury to occur.
The connection between doing yoga and bone strength is greater when a person begins exercising at a young age. This is because most people have the greatest bone density while in their 20s, but this tends to decrease after age 30. People who begin exercising while in their 20s will be able to maintain the density of their bones longer and, in some cases, offset bone loss until after age 40. This does not mean that people over 40 who have never exercised before should not begin taking yoga classes, as it can be beneficial for individuals of all ages to do.
