Yoga for Osteoporosis

I read from the Gaiam blog about an on-going study on Yoga for Osteoporosis being conducted by Dr Loren Fishmen and his study partner, Ellen Saltonsall. They found that yoga poses act on the bones by “applying forces of opposing muscle groups to them that greatly exceed gravity, stimulating bone cells (osteocytes) to create more bone.” They also suggest that yoga greatly improves arthritic joints by circulating synovial fluid, and stimulating all of the connective tissues around the joints, helping to mobilize these stagnant tissues.

Dr Fishman said that there is a magic number to initiate this process of new bone growth. "72 seconds". Yes, you must hold your pose for 1 minute and 12 seconds to reap the benefits. This should be approached gradually, as building up the strength to maintain a pose for 72 seconds may take months — but it will be well worth it. Plus, you will be rewarded with less stress (the anxiety-producing kind) and improved breathing, sleep and coordination. You have nothing to lose … and you can gain bone density!

You can visit this website for the twelve poses which can help to prevent and treat osteoporosis and osteopenia.