subject: Pilates For Osteoporosis [print this page] Osteoporosis is the thinning of bone tissue and loss of bone density over time. This leads to an increased risk of fracture. Osteoporosis risks can be reduced with lifestyle changes that include proper diet and sufficient exercise.
Osteoporosis makes your bones weak and more likely to break. Anyone can develop osteoporosis, but it is common in older women. As many as half of all women and a quarter of men older than 50 will break a bone due to osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is an ageing disease that can be prevented. You might not know you have osteoporosis until you break a bone. A bone mineral density test is the best way to check your bone health. To keep bones strong, eat a diet rich in calcium and vitamin D, do weight-bearing exercises and do not smoke.
The weight bearing aspects of Pilates, along with the focus on alignment, stability, and core strength all come together to build bone and support the structure of the body. Doing Pilates regularly helps to prevent osteoporosis.
Listed here are exercise tips to increase bone mass for those suffering from osteo-related conditions. These exercises will help improve one's strength, flexibility and balance while building bone mass. Try them out at home. Remember to refrain from doing any exercise with forward-bending and twisting of the spine as this may cause fracture.
In order to increase bone density, one should perform these exercises 4 times a week and ideally also do some brisk walking for 30 minutes on alternate days.
Throughout these exercises, keep your chin tucked, neck long. Your spine is in an elongated position as you lengthen the space between each vertebrae. Your shoulders are away from your ears, your shoulder blades are back and down.
Pilates Pelvic Curl:
Lie on the mat with your knees bent and feet placed hip-width apart. Place your arms straight by your sides with the fingers reaching towards the feet. On the exhale, draw in the abdominal muscles as you curl your pelvis, lifting the lower back vertebra by vertebra off the floor. Keep your neck and shoulders relaxed, your body still and your legs parallel, exhale as you articulate the spine in reverse order from the top of the spine, vertebra by vertebra, to bring the body back down to the mat in starting position. Do this 5 times.
Pilates Single Leg Circles:
Lie flat on the mat with your neck long and your right leg up to the ceiling. The left knee is bent and the left foot is firmly planted on the mat. Keep your arms pressed down by your sides throughout the exercise. Inhale as you cross the right leg up and over your body aiming for the left shoulder. Do not allow the right hip to lift off the mat and do not allow the left knee to wave back and forth. Sweep the leg down through the centre line of your body and out in line with your right shoulder. Exhale as you carry the leg back to the starting position completing one circle. Circle 5 times in each direction, clockwise and anti-clockwise.
Pilates Front Side Kicks:
Lie on your side and align your body so that it is parallel to the edge of the mat. Prop your head up on one hand and place the palm of the other hand firmly on the mat in front of you. Inhale and swing the upper leg forward. Keep the chest high and shoulders and hips stacked above each other. Keep the top leg directly in line with the hip, parallel to the floor. Exhale as you swing the leg back, stretching the front of the hip, always keeping your abdominals pulled in and up. Do this 10 times and finish by resting the top leg on the bottom leg. Switch sides.
A person with osteoporosis can expect to use Pilates to strengthen their core in a way that helps support the spine, to gain the benefits of enhanced range of motion and flexibility, and to enjoy the rejuvenating qualities of each Pilates exercise. But please take precautions; if you have osteoporosis, check with your doctor and work only with a fully certified Pilates instructor.
