Written By: Tania Tarafdar | Published : October 6, 2017 11:14 AM IST
Follow these tips to get rid of osteoporosis. (c) Shutterstock
Yoga can strengthen your muscles, improve your balance and stimulate your bone growth. Even if you have osteoporosis you can benefit from the many yoga poses. You will build bone strength in the potentially weaker areas. In addition, yoga improves your balance which reduces the risk of fracture. However, it is best that you stick to yoga poses that maintain a relatively straight or neutral spinal position throughout. Do not perform yoga poses involving side bending and rotation of the spine as it can lead to an increased risk of fragility fracture. According to yoga expert Raman Mishra, you must avoid these few common yoga poses.
Adho mukho svanasana or downward facing dog pose
You perform the downward facing dog by planting your hands and feet on the ground and elevating your hips. While you must perform the pose keeping your spine straight, you may lack the flexibility in your hamstrings to perform the pose properly and end up flexing your lower back. This type of spinal flexion can lead to fractures if you have osteoporosis. It is important that you perform the downward facing dog pose by keeping your low and mid back straight the entire time.
The plough pose boosts your energy levels by elevating your heart rate. You perform this pose by lying on your back and lifting your hips and bringing your toes over your head onto the floor. Unfortunately, this asana puts a lot of pressure on your cervical and lumbar spine which increases the risk of fragility fractures in these areas. So, if you have osteoporosis you must avoid plough pose and many such inversion poses.
Ardha matsyendrasana or seated twist
You perform the seated twist by sitting cross-legged and twisting your torso the side. This facilitates end-range spinal rotation which is not appropriate for people suffering from osteoporosis. The twisting motion can put a lot of pressure on the spine and lead to an increased risk of fracture. You should instead try the lying down twist by lying on your back with your knees bent and allow your legs to slowly drop to each side.
Paschimottanasana or seated forward bend
You perform the seated forward bend by sitting with your legs stretched out and reaching for your toes, rounding your back. While this asana can improve your flexibility it can also subject you to large amounts of lumbar flexion. If you are looking to increase the flexibility of your hamstrings you can try sitting erect at the edge of a chair with your legs straight, slowly hinging forward at the hips, until you feel a pull at the back of your leg.
The boat pose known for improving your core strength is done by elevating your upper and lower body into a V-shape. You must keep your back straight while performing this pose. However, if you round your spine, you can hurt your vertebrae. If you want to strengthen your core, the plank pose can be a safer option.
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