Ensure you have a release from your healthcare practitioner to do exercises. Above all, be mindful of any movements that create a sharp, knife-like pain or tingling sensation. Always back out of any pose that does not serve you.
Guidelines for Bone Health
Healthy Bones
- Weight bearing exercises – focus on creating “healthy” stress on your bones with balancing and strengthening movements
- Be watchful and mindful of your posture so you keep your bones in alignment
- Look for practices that focus on strengthening the bones of your spine and hips where Osteoporosis can often occur
Osteopenia 
- No jumping, bouncing or sudden movements
- Manage your stress levels as cortisol (the stress hormone) can weaken your bones; practice deep breathing and guided meditations to calm your nervous system
- Weight bearing exercises – focus on creating “healthy” stress on your bones with balancing and strengthening movements
- Non-weight bearing exercises – put strain on bones in a gentle way, letting the ligaments and tendons stress the bones through movement, causing osteoblasts to build more bone
Osteoporosis
- No jumping, bouncing or sudden movements
- Be cautious with forward bends by keeping your spine long and not rounding forward
- Use the breath to stretch the musculature of your spine from the inside out
- Upper Body – focus on poses that open your chest to help balance and/or reverse kyphosis (rounded upper back)
- Lower Body – focus on strengthening your legs and lengthening your spine
- Build vitality with gentle cardio movements like seated Sun Salutations
- “Be cautious with everything.” ~ Gary Kraftsow
Guidelines for Joint Health
Normal Joints
- Respect your range of motion (ROM) and stop when you feel resistance (like hitting a bumper)
- Gently move your joints in all directions:
- Hinge Joint – extend and flex
- Ball and Socket Joint – extend, flex and rotate
Joint Injuries
- Focus on stabilizing and strengthening your joints
- Limit continual movement of your injured joint so as not to irritate it
- Gently stretch the muscles around your injured joint
Joint Replacements
- Ensure you have a release from your healthcare practitioner to do exercises
- Honor the ROM guidelines from your healthcare practitioner
- Strengthen your replacement joint and muscles with poses that require holding (isometric)
- Slowly increase your ROM and back out if there is any pain
