Movement Guidelines: Bone & Joint 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