I will be hosting a special three hour Yoga for Better Bones workshop on April 15, Sunday at Kalyana Yoga in Ottawa. If you are in town, I hope that you can come.

This will be a hands-on and practical workshop on how to practice your routine if you have osteoporosis, osteopenia or low bone density. We will go through what is happening to your bones as you age, cover suggested modifications to poses and identify poses you should avoid.

Yoga Practitioners and Teachers

If you practice yoga and are concerned about the health of your bones, you should attend this workshop. If you are a teacher and instruct students with osteopoenia or osteoporosis, you should also attend.

This workshop is designed for both teachers and practitioners. I will make sure that this will be a learning experience no matter your level.

If you are a health professional with an interest in yoga and how it applies to you clients, I also encourage you to attend. I think that you will learn new things that you can bring to your clients. Please keep in mind that the format is designed to be practical so we are going to be covering quite a few poses. Expect a busy session!

Yoga for Better Bones

My new book, Yoga for Better Bones, will be available on sale at a special price during the session.

Registration Details

The event will take place from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM on Sunday, April 15, 2012. Kalyana Yoga will be the host and is handling the registration. Please contact Kalyana to book your place.

I have prepared a brochure on the workshop.

The price for the workshop will be $30 + HST.

Hope to see you there.

Health Professionals: Building Better Bones Online Course

Learn the Prevention, Treatment and Management of Osteoporosis.

MelioGuide Building Better Bone Online Course for Health Professionals

Women and Men: Exercise for Better Bones Program

Osteoporosis exercise program that strengthens bone, reduces fracture risk, improves balance and builds confidence.

MelioGuide Exercise for Better Bones Program for Women and Men

As many of you know, I encourage many of my clients to include walking as a part of their osteoporosis exercise program. There are many benefits. Brisk walking has been shown to reduce your risk of hip fracture.

I am also a promoter of nordic walking. I like several products in this area including the Activator pole by Urban Poling. This pole has been designed for rehab applications.

Mandy Shintani, the co-developer of Urban Poles, recently told me that several funding sources including Worker’s Compensation Board (WCB), auto accident insurance plans and Veterans Affairs (VAC) have approved funding for the Activator Pole.

Some extended health benefits plans (EHB) have also approved funding on a case-by-case basis.

In order to make it easier for therapists to apply for funding, Urban Poling Inc. has developed a Letter of Justification available for download.

I encourage you to download this form. Please direct any questions you may have to Mandy at Urban Poling.

Health Professionals: Building Better Bones Online Course

Learn the Prevention, Treatment and Management of Osteoporosis.

MelioGuide Building Better Bone Online Course for Health Professionals

Women and Men: Exercise for Better Bones Program

Osteoporosis exercise program that strengthens bone, reduces fracture risk, improves balance and builds confidence.

MelioGuide Exercise for Better Bones Program for Women and Men

A recent article in the New York Times, How Yoga Can Wreck Your Body, set off a firestorm of discussion and controversy. The author of the piece, William Broad, interviewed Glenn Black, a respected New York based yoga teacher, who contends that the “vast majority of people should give up yoga altogether. It’s simply too likely to cause harm.”

Osteoporosis and Yoga

Surprisingly, the article in the Times did not discuss osteoporosis and yoga. Given the large population of people with osteoporosis, it is certainly a topic that deserves attention.

You can safely practice even if you have low bone density or osteoporosis. However, a safe practice requires that you avoid certain poses and modify others.

The consequences for an individual with osteoporosis is greater compared to someone with stronger bones. There is a significant difference between a strain and a fracture.

My recommendation is that you educate yourself on how to practice safely if you have osteoporosis, osteopenia or low bone density. Search out a teacher who understands the necessary modifications for students with low bone density.

If you cannot be in a class dedicated to your needs, then you owe it to yourself to ensure you are practicing in a manner that will do no harm.

Can Yoga Wreck Your Body?

It should come as no surprise that the article generated a loud response in defense of yoga from both yoga teachers and practitioners.

I have read a number of the responses.  Many practitioners and teachers who responded believe that the problems identified in the article happen because people are putting their egos first and making yoga a competitive sport. As a result, they contend, people are pushing too hard and getting injured.

Price of Popularity

Ego, competitiveness and pushing too hard probably contribute to the increased frequency of these injuries.  Another cause is likely the sheer increase in volume of people now practicing it compared to years ago.

The Vancouver Sun points out in an article in it’s January 23, 2012 edition that Physiotherapy clinics in the city are seeing more yoga related injuries than in the past. Lori Charko of Body Harmony Yoga in North Vancouver states:

If you’re looking at the number of people who are practicing yoga, it’s exponentially more, so of course everybody’s going to see more injuries.

How fast has it grown? In 2001, there were four million practitioners in the United States. By 2011, the number was twenty million – a five-fold increase.

Not only are there more students (and studios to meet the demand), there is concern that the ratio of student to teacher has probably increased as well. Again, Lori Charko:

My feeling is that a lot of studios are packing people in and one teacher to 40 students is not a safe way to conduct a class.

Further, the article in the New York Times states “that many teachers lack the deeper training necessary to recognize when students are headed toward injury”.  In my experience this is probably true especially as more and more older people (with a history of inactivity) attend these classes.

Yesterday and Today

The Times article also points out that Indian practitioners from older times typically squatted, sat cross-legged and were more active than today’s office bound yoga practitioner. As a result, they were better suited to do the challenging poses.

The Conclusion

The practice of yoga can yield substantial health benefits. However, you need to understand your limitations, the potential implications of yoga on your body and make the modifications that make your practice a safe experience, especially if you have osteoporosis, osteopenia or low bone density.

Health Professionals: Building Better Bones Online Course

Learn the Prevention, Treatment and Management of Osteoporosis.

MelioGuide Building Better Bone Online Course for Health Professionals

Women and Men: Exercise for Better Bones Program

Osteoporosis exercise program that strengthens bone, reduces fracture risk, improves balance and builds confidence.

MelioGuide Exercise for Better Bones Program for Women and Men

You can make small changes to your osteoporosis exercises and make them more effective. One such modification is to vary the cadence or pace of your exercises.

Cadence is the speed at which you do an exercise. It is one more variable that you can play with in your exercise program and improve bone density. And doing it properly can save you money, too!

Important for an Osteoporosis Exercise Program

Why is varying cadence important to an osteoporosis exercise program? There are three benefits.

1. Your osteoporosis exercises can be more effective. Activating your muscles causes stress on your bones and this stress stimulates your bones in a good way. By varying the cadence of your exercises, you stimulate the muscles in new and novel ways. Researchers have shown that constantly challenging your muscles with new, interesting and stimulating exercises is much better than performing the same routine over and over again. Like your mind, your muscles need stimulation.  They respond to new and novel patterns of loading.
2. You can save money. You can challenge your muscles in new ways with heavier weights. However, by varying the speed at which you do your exercises, you achieve the same goal but save the expense of purchasing new weights.
3. Your exercise routine will be more fun and interesting. Mixing up the speed of your osteoporosis exercises will keep you more engaged in your program and increase the chance that you will stick with your program.

Video Demonstration – Osteoporosis Exercise and Cadence

Change the Cadence (Tempo) of Your Exercises

You can make your osteoporosis exercises more challenging (and more effective) by changing the speed of your exercises. One of the key foundations in the MelioGuide Exercise for Better Bones Program is to introduce new, novel exercises to your body. Even though you may not be wanting or able to move up to the next level of exercises can create a noel experience for your muscles and bones by changing your tempo.

In the video demonstration I show you how to incorporate variations into the weighted squat exercise and the bicep curl exercise. This provides you with an example for the lower body and the upper body.

I introduce different tempos for you to explore:

• 2-1-2 tempo (in this example the rest time is not counted)
• 1-4-1-4 tempo (this example takes the hold time and the rest time into consideration)

Give these a try and let me know what you think! Remember you can achieve a lot with your osteoporosis exercise program in your home without having to invest in expensive equipment of a gym membership. Varying the speed of your exercises is another way to effectively keep your bones stimulated.

Health Professionals: Building Better Bones Online Course

Learn the Prevention, Treatment and Management of Osteoporosis.

MelioGuide Building Better Bone Online Course for Health Professionals

Women and Men: Exercise for Better Bones Program

Osteoporosis exercise program that strengthens bone, reduces fracture risk, improves balance and builds confidence.

MelioGuide Exercise for Better Bones Program for Women and Men

The following question was asked during a recent Q&A webinar. The question comes from a Physical Therapist currently taking the Building Better Bones Physical Therapy continuing education course. The student asks whether core exercises are appropriate for clients with osteoporosis.

Question: Are Core Exercises Appropriate for Clients with Osteoporosis?

The student asks are core exercises appropriate for clients with osteoporosis?

My Response

Core exercises are covered in the Building Better Bones course. And yes, they are very appropriate for clients with osteoporosis.

We cannot expect our clients to do high level core exercises, but all clients will benefit from the stability that comes with practicing core exercises. The role of the therapist is to design the core exercises appropriate for their client.

Upcoming Core Course

In the upcoming months I will expand the MelioGuide course offerings as I have witnessed too many of my clients being assigned inappropriate core exercises.  The goal is to empower your client to recruit transverses abdominus without having to bring in compensatory positioning.  I am excited about the upcoming release and will keep you all posted.

Audio

This audio is 1 minute and 36 seconds in length. To play the audio, click the play button to the right, below (you may have to click twice to start the play).

Health Professionals: Building Better Bones Online Course

Learn the Prevention, Treatment and Management of Osteoporosis.

MelioGuide Building Better Bone Online Course for Health Professionals

Women and Men: Exercise for Better Bones Program

Osteoporosis exercise program that strengthens bone, reduces fracture risk, improves balance and builds confidence.

MelioGuide Exercise for Better Bones Program for Women and Men

The following question was asked during a recent Q&A webinar. The question comes from a Physical Therapist currently taking the Building Better Bones Physical Therapy continuing education course. The student asks whether the Floor M exercise is appropriate for clients with osteoporosis who also have a with disc prolapse.

Question: Is the Floor M Exercise Appropriate for Clients with Osteoporosis and Clients with Disc Prolapse?

The student asks is the Floor M exercise is appropriate for clients with osteoporosis who also have a disc prolapse?

My Response

In the audio I answer this question. The Floor M exercise is certainly appropriate for clients with osteoporosis. It is one of the key exercises in the MelioGuide Exercise for Better Bones program and is covered in the Building Better Bones course.  You can look at the Floor M in an earlier blog.

The exercise is also appropriate for clients with a posterior or postero-lateral disc herniation.

Audio

This audio is 3 minutes and 52 seconds in length. To play the audio, click the play button to the right, below (you may have to click twice to start the play).

Health Professionals: Building Better Bones Online Course

Learn the Prevention, Treatment and Management of Osteoporosis.

MelioGuide Building Better Bone Online Course for Health Professionals

Women and Men: Exercise for Better Bones Program

Osteoporosis exercise program that strengthens bone, reduces fracture risk, improves balance and builds confidence.

MelioGuide Exercise for Better Bones Program for Women and Men

The following question was asked during a recent Q&A webinar. The question comes from a Physical Therapist currently taking the Building Better Bones Physical Therapy continuing education course. The student asks how to position a client with kyphosis (a forward head posture) for her osteoporosis exercise program.

Question: How to Position a Client with Kyphosis for Exercise Treatment

The student asks how to position a client who has a kyphosis for exercise?

My Response

In the audio I briefly discuss how to position your client for their osteoporosis exercises, taking into account the extent of the kyphosis and range of motion in the spine and upper torso.

Basically you probably need to provide support (using pillows) for their kyphosis exercises. In the audio I provide guidance on how to work with your client. Generally you should provide as much support as they need. They will provide the necessary feedback. They may need one pillow, they may need more.

You should try to get them into a position that allows them to do the exercises and stay within their comfort range. You may be surprised by the feedback that they provide.

I also suggest specific osteoporosis exercises that they can do and provide guidelines in terms of what your client should be feeling as they go into the correct position and execute the exercises. Your goal is to get them to gain strength so that they can build extension over time.

This audio is 1 minute and 50 seconds in length. To play the audio, click the play button to the right, below (you may have to click twice to start the play).

Health Professionals: Building Better Bones Online Course

Learn the Prevention, Treatment and Management of Osteoporosis.

MelioGuide Building Better Bone Online Course for Health Professionals

Women and Men: Exercise for Better Bones Program

Osteoporosis exercise program that strengthens bone, reduces fracture risk, improves balance and builds confidence.

MelioGuide Exercise for Better Bones Program for Women and Men

The following question was asked during a recent Q&A webinar. The question comes from a Physical Therapist currently taking the Building Better Bones Physical Therapy continuing education course. The student asks what are the different treatment options for vertebral fractures.

Question: Treatment Options for Vertebral Fractures

The student asks:

I am working with elderly patients and some are severely kyphotic and have vertebral fractures. What are my treatment options?

My Response

There is a complete section in the Building Better Bones continuing education course for Physical Therapists that is dedicated to vertebral fracture management. In the audio below I discuss several of the options presented in the course.

Your first question as a therapist should be is this an acute or a chronic fracture? If it is an acute fracture, you should work with your team (i.e., the Physician, the Occupational Therapist, and other members of the medical team) on pain management strategies.

There are different treatment options for each. In the audio discussion I cover the different options for acute fractures including:

• Pharmaceutical options for pain management such as Vitamin D and calcitonin
• Activities of daily living. Be very aware of the client’s needs. You may want to do simple things like chair the height of her chair which aids transfers. I give a real life example of a client of mine.
• Orthotic options and which clients will be most successful with them.
• Taping, massage and relaxation training.
• Making sure that Vitamin D levels are appropriate.

• Strength training and appropriate exercise options.
• Education of family members.

This audio is 3 minutes and 52 seconds in length. To play the audio, click the play button to the right, below (you may have to click twice to start the play).

Health Professionals: Building Better Bones Online Course

Learn the Prevention, Treatment and Management of Osteoporosis.

MelioGuide Building Better Bone Online Course for Health Professionals

Women and Men: Exercise for Better Bones Program

Osteoporosis exercise program that strengthens bone, reduces fracture risk, improves balance and builds confidence.

MelioGuide Exercise for Better Bones Program for Women and Men

Raye is a children’s television writer, former dancer, former actress and exercise enthusiast. She also has fairly advanced osteoporosis. Since 2009, she has run a blogging site on osteoporosis called The Bone Architect. This is a popular blogging site for people with osteoporosis who are interested in natural ways to strengthen their bones. Raye uses the site to share information and connect with people, like her, who are dealing with osteoporosis.

I contacted Raye in late April and asked her if she would be interested in reviewing the MelioGuide Exercise for Better Bones program and sharing the results with her readers. She graciously agreed to spend time looking at the program even though she was busy with her work and a yoga and osteoporosis study.

The MelioGuide Osteoporosis Exercise Program

In mid-June, Raye posted her review on her blog. After reading the review, I was pleased with the results. I was impressed that Raye devoted the time to look at the program in detail and comment on each of the major areas.

I encourage you to read the review. Here are a few extracts from what she has to say:

In short, this is a fantastic program.

There’s no substitute for working one on one with a trainer. And they recommend you contact a MelioGuide trained professional near you to work with them. (And they have a directory of certified professionals on their website. You can search and see if there’s someone near you.)

But if you can’t, if all you can afford is the initiation fee, it’s probably the safest, most thorough, web-based exercise program I’ve seen out there. Seriously, I’ve never seen anything like it.

Thanks, Raye!

Health Professionals: Building Better Bones Online Course

Learn the Prevention, Treatment and Management of Osteoporosis.

MelioGuide Building Better Bone Online Course for Health Professionals

Women and Men: Exercise for Better Bones Program

Osteoporosis exercise program that strengthens bone, reduces fracture risk, improves balance and builds confidence.

MelioGuide Exercise for Better Bones Program for Women and Men

If you live in the Guelph, Ontario area and would like to participate in a well structured and regular osteoporosis exercise class, I encourage you to look at South City Physiotherapy’s program. They have classes starting on February 12th, 2012.

Osteoporosis Exercise Class

Their osteoporosis exercise class program is an eight week exercise class specifically designed to improve bone density and reduce the risk of injury from osteoporosis.

You can register for the class by contacting South City Physiotherapy at 519-763-2885 or visiting their Osteoporosis Exercise Class web page.

Let Us Know

If you are a health professional and have an upcoming class dedicated to osteoporosis exercise, let us know!

Health Professionals: Building Better Bones Online Course

Learn the Prevention, Treatment and Management of Osteoporosis.

MelioGuide Building Better Bone Online Course for Health Professionals

Women and Men: Exercise for Better Bones Program

Osteoporosis exercise program that strengthens bone, reduces fracture risk, improves balance and builds confidence.

MelioGuide Exercise for Better Bones Program for Women and Men