Yoga Strengthens your Bones

Courtesy of The Round Clinic

Among other exercises, The Round Clinic advocates regular yoga as a great way to strengthen and repair various physical issues. Located above Flex Studio in One Island South, the natural health centre recently uploaded a story from the New York Times onto their blog, which explains how a doctor in the US has proved that just 12 minutes of yoga a day can help improve the health of your bones.

Dr Loren M Fishman, a physiatrist at Columbia University is pioneering scientific studies in a field where there are few that are definitive.

In one study, he chose 12 poses – tree, triangle, warrior II, side-angle, twisted triangle locust, bridge, supine hand to foot I, supine hand to foot II, straight legged twist, bent knee twist and corpse pose – and had participants hold them for 30 seconds each every day, taking around 12 minutes when the sequence was learned.

Tests revealed improved bone density in the spine and femur, with a special study of 18 participants revealing better internal support of their bones, increasing fracture resistance. And none of the participants suffered from a fracture or serious injury during the study.

What’s very revealing is that of his 741 participants, the average age was 68. In addition, 83 per cent of them suffered from osteoporosis or its forerunner osteopenia. Of the original group, 202 women kept at the poses, practicing daily or every other day, for a decade.

For people with bone loss, weight-bearing activity is recommended. “Yoga puts more pressure on bone than gravity does,” Dr Fishman has said. “By opposing one group of muscles against another, it stimulates osteocytes, the bone-making cells.”

And he adds: “Yoga is good for range of motion, strength, coordination and reduced anxiety, all of which contribute to the ability to stay upright and not fall. If you don’t fall, you greatly reduce your risk of a serious fracture.”

Consider the difference between practicing yoga for free and the astronomic costs of medication to prevent and treat spinal and hip fractures. Plus many mediations come with unpleasant side effects, while Dr Fishman says the side effects of yoga include, “better posture, improved balance, enhanced coordination, greater range of motion, higher strength, reduced levels of anxiety and better gait.”

The physical, not to mention the mental, emotional and spiritual benefits of practicing yoga, will serve you well whatever age you are, but in particular may be able to help prevent common debilitating aging problems like osteoporosis. What are you waiting for? Grab your mat and join one of Flex’s fun yoga classes!

The natural treatments offered at The Round Clinic include osteopathy, cranio-sacral therapy, homeopathy, acupuncture, midwifery, sophrology and psychology, with an array of experts who can help with musculo-skeletal issues such as back or neck pain as well as mental well-being benefitting the whole family.

With regular free talks and workshops, come to The Round Clinic, conveniently located on the One Island South, 6/F, 602-603, 2 Heung Yip Road, Wong Chuk Hang. Visit them to learn more about your family’s health or to discuss specific issues with their practitioners.

Flex Studio also offers a comprehensive schedule of yoga classes and workshops, designed with your physical and mental wellbeing in mind. For a complete schedule visit www.flexhk.com.