How Yoga Benefits Bone Health and Which Poses to Try Out
The benefits of practicing yoga span from the physical realm to the emotional realm, without leaving aside the spirituality. In case you have poor bone health or simply want to avoid any kind of bone disease, we recommend you to enjoy this millennial practice and its benefits.
Practicing yoga for bone health
Doing yoga is linked to overall better health, however, when it comes to the bones and muscles, it’s really wonderful. This practice relieves stress, improves sleep, detoxifies the body, teaches conscious breathing, and increases flexibility.
For years, we’ve been convinced that bone problems are related only to a lack of calcium, but that’s not the case. While it’s true that bones with poor amounts of this nutrient are more prone to fractures or cracks, it is also a fact that increased bone flexibility is just as important to prevent them from breaking.
What exactly does this mean? It means that you can consume all of the calcium you want, but that alone won’t help you to avoid osteoporosis. You need to add physical activity to improve bone health. One of the best options is to practice yoga.
This ancient practice improves posture, stretches the muscles and bones, increases balance, and gives older people more stability when they walk. Undoubtedly, this contributes to reducing falls and accidents, which can lead to dreaded consequences such as fractures.
Yoga poses for bone health
In general, practicing yoga every week is enough to have healthier and stronger bones, although exercise should always be accompanied by good nutrition, a healthy lifestyle, and outdoor activities. The following yoga poses are a must in class if you seek to improve your bone health:
1. Tree pose
Its Sanskrit name is, Vrksasana and it’s one of the most basic poses when starting off a yoga practice. You start off standing and it works on improving your balance. Flex the right knee and support the sole of your foot on the inner side of your left thigh. Keep your eyesight focused on a focal point of your choosing in front of you.
When you get used to the position, bring your hands above your head till your palms touch. Breathe slowly, and after a few seconds, break out of the pose carefully.
2. Triangle pose
Also called, Trikonasana, it’s perfect for fully stretching the inferior and superior extremities. Stand up tall and spread your legs shoulder-width apart. Stretch your right arm and lower your torso towards your right knee. Rest your hand as close as possible to the top of your foot.
Stretch your left arm as if you were trying to touch the ceiling and turn your head in that direction. The goal is to look at your fingertips for a few seconds before exiting the pose.
3. Locust pose
Another one of the poses—whose original name is, Salabhasana—that allows us to improve bone health when practicing yoga. In this case, you should lay face down on the mat and stretch your legs. Slowly lift your torso from the ground, while at the same time raising your legs and bringing your arms back to the height of your glutes.
The goal is to find support on the floor from the mouth of the stomach to the thighs (above the knees). To complete the pose, slightly tilt your head back.
4. Upward dog pose
The pose called, Urdhva Mukha Svanasana is also great for improving your bone health. It starts the same way as the previous pose, face down on the mat. In this case the torso and the pelvis are lifted.
Place the palms of your hands at the sides of your body and stretch your arms completely. Tilt your head back to be able to look at the ceiling without too much effort.
