Strong Woman and Child by Yasuo Kuniyoshi

by Nina

By far, the topic we’ve received the most requests for recently is for posts about bone strength, especially for osteopenia and osteoporosis. I think that this is because loss of bone strength is such a common problem for older people (yes, men get it, too!).

Because we’ve been aware of the need for information on this topic since the very early days of the blog, we already have quite a bit of information on bone strength, osteopenia, and osteoporosis. So today I’m going to provide links to all the articles I could track down. I’ll start with overviews, then list articles specific to osteopenia and osteoporosis, and conclude with a list of articles about how to practice yoga for bone strength.

Before I get started, however, I wanted to mention that the book Yoga for Healthy Aging, which I co-authored with Dr. Baxter Bell includes a lot of information about bone strength, including a Bone Strength sequence, in Chapter 3: Yoga for Strength. Of course, it would be nice for us authors if you bought the book, but it just so happens that the free sample chapter I posted on my site yogafortimesofchange.com is the Yoga for Strength chapter. So, you can actually read the entire chapter for free. Simply go here and scroll down to the sample chapter.

Overviews About Bone Strength and Related Topics

Latest Info on Muscle and Bone Strength by Baxter and Nina contains background information about osteoporosis an osteopenia.

Aging and Loss of Strength by Nina discusses how aging affects both bone and muscle strength.

Friday Q&A: Aging Muscles, Bones, and Joints by Baxter discusses how aging affects bone strength as well as muscle strength.

Healthy Bones for Men and Women Alike by Baxter includes some basic advice for practicing yoga for bone strength.

Dr. Chris Adams on Age-Related Muscle and Bone Loss by Nina is an interview with a muscle strength expert, who discusses, among other things, the relationship between muscle and bone strength (they go hand in hand).

Interview with Dr. Loren Fishman on Yoga for Osteoporosis and Other Topics by Baxter is an interview with the well-known bone strength expert.

Osteopenia

What is Osteopenia and How Can Yoga Help by Shari Ser, who is a physical therapist, gives background about what osteopenia is (as opposed to osteoporosis) along with guidance for practicing with this condition.

Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis: Considerations for Our Yoga Practice by Diana Perez, who is a physical therapist as well as a yoga teacher, is a very comprehensive look at how to practice yoga when you have osteoporosis, including both what to do and what not to do.

My Journey with Osteoporosis and Yoga by Monica Pawlan describes Monica’s experience story practicing Dr. Loren Fishman’s sequence for improving bone strength.

Osteoporosis and Men by Nina disproves the myth that men don’t develop osteoporosis.

Friday Q&A: Preventing Vertebral Fractures by Baxter discusses safety issues for osteoporosis of the spine.

Friday Q&A: Forward Bends and Osteoporosis by Baxter discusses safety issues of forward bending for those with osteoporosis.

Active Engagement: Yoga and Osteoporosis by Baxter discusses a study showing the effectiveness of yoga for osteoporosis.

Practicing Yoga for Bone Strength

Poses for Osteoporosis by Baxter recommends specific poses that can be beneficial for those with this condition.

Strength Building: How Long To Hold Poses by Baxter how long to hold poses for building bone strength.

Featured Sequence: Bone Strength Practice by Baxter is a version of the sequence you’ll also find in the book Yoga for Healthy Aging.

Cautions for Bone Strength by Nina includes some warning information for our Bone Strength Practice and general cautions for practicing yoga for bone strength.

6 Tips for Strength Building by Nina contains tips that are relevant for both bone and muscle strength.

Yoga for Healthy Aging Strength Sequences by Nina is an overview posts that has links to many different sequences to build both bone and muscle strength.

Sunday Update: Loren Fishman’s Current Sequence by Nina contains a link to Dr. Loren Fishman’s sequence for building bone strength.

Bridget Frederick has a whole series on our blog on individual strength building poses that you can find by searching on the phrase “Strengthening Pose of the Week”.  These strengthen bones as well as muscles. What’s particularly nice about these is the number of variations for each pose.

 

• Follow Yoga for Healthy Aging on Facebook and follow Nina on Instagram • Order Yoga for Times of Change here  and purchase the companion videos here • Order Yoga for Healthy Aging: A Guide to Lifelong Well-Being here.