ntttttttntttttttttntttnttttttttt nnnttttntttttttt Yoga for Bone Healthttttnttttnnttt ntttttttt nntt ntttn Yoga for Bone Health nn nn Get informed - understand which types of movements and asanas are safe for people with osteoporosis and osteopenia. nn This CPD aims to raise awareness of the dou2019s and donu2019ts in teaching yoga to women over 45 who may need to review and renew their yoga practice but who remain attached to sequences that can become harmful as they age. As you gain a better understanding of osteopenia and osteoporosis, you will be able to design safe and enjoyable routines to promote womenu2019s health and,significantly, their embodied self-confidence to move freely as they age. Given the impact of the perimenopause on bones, this awareness needs to start in womenu2019s forties. With well adapted yoga, we CAN turn the challenge of thinning bones into a powerful catalyst for healthy and even enjoyable ageing. nnnn Osteopenia, the loss of bone density with age, is inevitable but can and must be slowed down before it leads to osteoporosis, a condition in which bones become less dense and predisposed to fractures. There are no obvious symptoms of either osteopenia or osteoporosis. Often, people are unaware they have it unless theyu2019re tested for it, or unfortunately, they find out after they break a bone. Bone loss is a fact of ageing, but osteoporosis is not, and yet 1 in 3 women over 50 suffer from an osteoporotic fracture. There is currently a debate about the therapeutic value of yoga for reducing osteopenia and alleviating osteoporosis, if not reversing these conditions. Controlled studies in 2009 and 2015 byLoren Fishman, MD, found that practising yoga asanas can increase bone density if done consistently and properly. This led to the claim that u201cyoga builds bonesu201d ** Recent cautions however (Mayo Clinic study 2019*) suggest that yoga practice must be adapted to be safe, and that certain asanas such as spinal flexion and twisting are best avoided for yogini diagnosed with or at risk of osteoporosis. nn This CPD course addresses the pressing need for yoga therapists and yoga teachers to understand which types of movements are safe for people with osteoporosis and osteopenia and to communicate this knowledge to their students. The micromovements advocated in Birthlight Well Woman Yoga are effective and safe for women over 50 to mitigate the loss of bone density. Fluid yoga moves can also improve balance and flexibility, which can prevent falls and therefore reduce the risk of fractures. u2018Doing no harmu2019 is a leading principle for yoga teachers/therapists. nn What You will Gain nn Anatomy and physiology foundations for understanding osteopenia and osteoporosis, with special attention to the spine and the pelvis. Well Woman Yoga puts priority on elongating the spine. We follow the view put forward in the Mayo Clinic study that spinal extension exercises are safer than flexion exercises in reducing the risk of fractures in osteoporosis and that strong abdominal curls are to be avoided. Even though recommending twisting poses for osteoporosis is now considered controversial, Well Woman Yoga follows Dr. Fishmanu2019s view that in all her research, she has never seen twisting poses cause fractures. u201cTwisting poses would be helpful to put some pressure on the spine. The bones respond to the pressure by building more bones. You want to put pressure on the bones, but you donu2019t want to put too much pressure on the vertebrae,u201d says Fishman. Mild twists like the seated twisting poses apply gentle pressure to the bones without harming the vertebrae. nn Anatomy and physiology foundations for understanding osteopenia and osteoporosis, with special attention to the spine and the pelvis. Well Woman Yoga puts priority on elongating the spine. We follow the view put forward in the Mayo Clinic study that spinal extension exercises are safer than flexion exercises in reducing the risk of fractures in osteoporosis and that strong abdominal curls are to be avoided. Even though recommending twisting poses for osteoporosis is now considered controversial, Well Woman Yoga follows Dr. Fishmanu2019s view that in all her research, she has never seen twisting poses cause fractures. u201cTwisting poses would be helpful to put some pressure on the spine. The bones respond to the pressure by building more bones. You want to put pressure on the bones, but you donu2019t want to put too much pressure on the vertebrae,u201d says Fishman. Mild twists like the seated twisting poses apply gentle pressure to the bones without harming the vertebrae. ntt