Can Yoga prevent Osteoporosis?

Growing old is just another phase in life that everybody has to go through…

Many people especially the seniors are searching ways to be healthy, slow down the aging process and improve their quality life. Yoga not only focuses on harmony between mind and body and balance in every area of life but it is very beneficial in prevention and control of common health and emotional problems that linked to “Old Age”.

One of the most common disease encounters by the elderly especially age above 50 years old is Osteoporosis. The word Osteoporosis means “porous bones”. This condition occurs when there is a loss of calcium and mineral in the bones that weakens the bones causing them to break more easily or bones become more fragile. It is also mainly causes by the imbalance of levels of calcium female sex hormone called estrogen in the system and very common in the menopausal women. Statistics show that almost one in every two women will suffer an Osteoporosis – related fracture at some point in her lifetime. For men, it is one in every four. The greater risk in women vs men is relatively because of the smaller body size, bone size and lower bone mass at its peak and greater loss of bone in midlife due to the menopause.

Loosing bone density is a natural part of the aging process and usually bone density starting to decline when a person reaches in their thirties. The result of Osteoporosis can be viewed as skeletal failure. There is no documented evidence that bone loss or reduced bone tissue itself. This is why sometimes it is called the “Silent Disease”. It means that there are no symptoms of Osteoporosis, but only consequences fractures associated with chronic pain, deformity and disability. The most common place of a fracture is a vertebrae in the spine, the second is the hips and thirdly in the wrist.

Thus there is a high need for staying fit and healthy during this age period by ways of food intake, weight-bearing exercise and movements which are prescribed for osteoporosis condition. Although, exercise cannot replace the bone density that has already been lost, but it can certainly help to maintain strength in the bones. One would be surprised that simple movements can bring softness and agility to the joints which help us to maintain balance and prevention of falling as we age along the way.

Yoga can prove to be extremely efficient system of controlling the symptom of Osteoporosis and to be prevented before it happens. Regular practice of weight bearing yoga postures are proven to build bone strength and avoid Osteoporosis in elderly.

The key to success of preventing this disease is by building a strong skeleton when you are young and slowing the rate of bone loss as you age. Such approach as below can be applied :

1) Strengthening of muscles around the back, hips and to provide better support for the bones in these areas to
minimize the risk of fracture;

2) Strengthening of bone and increase flexibility of joints through weight bearing and stretching;

3) Pranayama and meditation to restore emotional calmness and balance; and

4) Good and well-balanced diet

In normal term or western medication concentrates on reducing the degree of bone degeneration, minimize risk factor of all to prevent fracture and reduce pain associated with the disease by using various kinds of drugs which not only expensive but has their own side effect such as gastrointestinal, acid reflux, abdominal pain, nausea and irregular bowels to name a few.

Isn’t practicing Yoga an alternative therapy for Osteoporosis and leads to a better you?

YOU ARE NEVER TOO OLD TO DO YOGA…