And here is the last part of the article on osteoporosis. If you do have osteoporosis – and you MUST take your doctor’s advice before doing any exercises – here are a few “do’s” and “don’t’s”:
DON’T bend forward from the upper back, causing your shoulders to round.
DO lean forward from the hip keeping your back flat. Push your bottom backwards as if looking over a cliff.
DON’T do bends to the side.
DON’T rotate or twist the spine around.
DO exercises like standing knee lifts holding onto a chair.
DO bend your knees to pick things up…again, keep that back flat. Pretend you have a book on your head. It works surprisingly well.
DON’T lift your head when doing abdominal exercises lying on your back.
DO exercise your abdominals lying on your back! A strong core is essential to minimise risk of fracture. This is where an expert Pilates instructor who is aware of your condition can really help you. But you MUST obey them….if they tell you to do one version of an exercise while those around you are doing a different version, do as you’re told. Are you listening, Mum??
DO eat properly and regularly.
DO take regular gentle exercise most days of the week. Beware of ice and very rough ground in case of falls.
DO strengthen your leg and hip muscles. So as not to fall. If the muscles on the side of your hip (Gluteus Medius) are strong, then if you do stumble you are much less likely to fall.
DO exercise on your front to extend and “lengthen” the muscles in your spine.
Being diagnosed with osteoporosis is not the end of the world. You just have to start taking a lot more care of yourself. You just can’t say that you don’t have the time! I know people with osteoporosis who have broken a rib just by sneezing, or a small bone in their hand just by turning over in the night. They are constantly at the Fracture Clinic or trying to struggle along with a limb in pot, and fractured bones are miserably painful.
So take steps to avoid hazardous activities or situations, but at the same time work to strengthen your bones and the muscles holding them together as much as possible.One of my ladies does have osteoporosis; she comes to circuits and Pilates classes twice a week, rain or shine and has done since the day it was spotted on the bone scan. She recently stumbled over an uneven paving stone and fell, hurting her ankle.
The paramedics were sure it was broken, especially when she revealed she had osteoporosis, but at the hospital they were all amazed when the x-rays came back clear…a bad sprain but no fracture. That happy outcome was directly credited to the fact she exercised with such diligence!
And that’s about it. The important thing with having osteoporosis is being constantly aware of your posture and your surroundings and doing your utmost to protect your weak bones with strong muscles and a switched-on brain!
One of the most important things to learn during your Pilates practice is the Zip and Hollow. You may have heard it called scooping, abdominal scoop, engaging your powerhouse or turning on your core.
Many different terms meaning the same thing engaging transverse abdominis the innermost layer of your abdominal muscles and engaging your pelvic floor. By doing the Zip and Hollow your back is properly supported and you have a firm base from which to practice your Pilates.
Carol Bartram (Pilates Instructor) has kindly produced a video and written instructions which show you exactly how to correctly perform this important exercise.
You can find this Pilates For Beginners exercise by following the link or if you prefer you can view it below.
The Winsor Pilates Endless Fitness Series is for women and men who are: just beginning exercising for the first time, returning to exercising after a long break, have a substantial weight loss goal or are a bit older. It’s important that you feel good and have energy for the important things in your life.
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Winsor Pilates 2 DVD set. Perfect for women and men who are just beginning exercising for the first time.
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A full-color photographic book with 101 different moves you can do with an exercise ball. Exercise balls are cropping up in gyms all over the world, are sold in places like Kmart and Target, and are becoming the latest fitness craze. The thing is, what the heck do you do with the ball once you?ve bought it?
Pilates, yoga, and more! Liz Gillies, respected fitness trainer and star of several best-selling exercise videos, shows you 101 things you can do with a ball to tone, trim, and firm up.
Details:
Features 176 full color pages
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Exercises help you strengthen, tone and stretch
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Safe Techniques to Reduce Pain, Build Strength, and Speed Recovery
Studies suggest that proactive strengthening and flexibility-recovery exercises can speed healing after spine surgery. Whether you?re preparing for or recovering from spinal surgery, recuperating from a back injury, or just dealing with a back that has “issues,” this book offers an effective program to help you manage pain and regain strength and mobility.
These exercises modify traditional Pilates routines to accommodate partially immobilized spines, making this routine safe and effective therapy for your fragile back. The exercises are designed to not compromise a spinal fusion. Instead, they will do what Pilates exercises do best?stretch, strengthen, and tone the trunk with precise positioning and movement, while avoiding potentially dangerous repetition and overexertion.?
“Pilates for Fragile Backs is an excellent program for people who have had spinal fusion. The simple but effective Pilates-based exercises will help tremendously in reducing pain and restoring mobility.” ?Vijay Vad, MD, assistant professor of rehabilitation medicine at the Weill Medical College of Cornell University and author of Back Rx and Arthritis Rx.
“?Adhering to a program of Pilates, as described in Pilates for Fragile Backs, under the guidance of a certified instructor can be a most useful means to improve back function and relieve pain. Clearly, this is a valuable therapeutic modality that is underutilized in today?s current pain management programs associated with spinal disorders.” ?Charles Birbara, MD, chief of rheumatology at Worcester City Hospital in Worcester, MA
“In my practice, I constantly emphasize the importance of proper spinal alignment, good posture and a strong mid-section. Pilates for Fragile Backs highlights these points in an easy-to-follow exercise program for patients suffering with chronic back pain. I have recommended this program to many of my patients, and they are thrilled with the results.” ?Anthony S. Rainka, DC, South County Chiropractic, Sutton, MA
“As a physical therapist, I have been able to utilize the exercises in Pilates for Fragile Backs with my clients. They have shown a reduction in pain, an improvement in posture and balance, increased strength, and healthier muscle tone. Best of all, the program does wonders for their self-esteem.” ?Pam Craig-Stewart, PT, director of rehabilitation at Christopher House in Worcester, MA
“This book is a much needed labor of love that offers clear and helpful advice for anyone who has ever lived with chronic back pain. The spine problems addressed in this book are very challenging ones for doctors and therapists alike, and the authors use their first hand experience with spinal trauma to break new ground for exercise therapy. A specifically modified Pilates program indeed offers the possibility of comfort and relief for a largely under-served group in our society.” ?Ellen Kiley, RYT, therapeutic yoga practitioner specializing in scoliosis and spinal fusion
“I underwent an anterior/posterior fusion (L4-S1) over a year ago due to degenerative disk disease with annular tears. Since then, Pilates has done wonders for me. I started pursuing basic lumbar stabilization mat work a couple of months following surgery. I had urged my neurosurgeon to allow me to begin sooner than usual because I?d had a big increase in pain. My physical therapist felt it had to do with the stiffness that begins to set in as the weeks go by without stretching and exercising. I had every confidence that Pilates would improve my situation and I swear by it! I’ve been back to work full-time. I am also walking about four miles, three days a week! I?m sure Pilates for Fragile Backs will be a major help to many others.” ?Diana Stahl, Cincinnati, OH
Details:
ISBN13: 9781572244665
Condition: New
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Amazon Rating: (4.0) (out of 9 reviews) List Price:$ 18.95 Best Price: Availability: Normally ships in 24 hours
Product Description Using the new 7-inch Mini Stability-Ball, you can achieve a full-body workout to improve posture, with a major focus on core stability and back strength and mobility. Details: 1 Mini Stability-Ball (with blow-up straw & plug) Easy Start poster New Mini Stability-Ball Workout DVD Amazon Rating: (3.0) (out of 5 reviews) List Price: [...]
Product Description The weighted ball is great for developing strength and can be incorporated into aerobic classes, yoga and pilates routines as well as rehabilitation. Ideal for yoga or Pilates routines, these soft, weighted toning balls from Stott Pilates fit comfortably into the palm of the hand. Use them with matwork routines to increase intensity [...]
Product Description Pilates Workbook offers a straightforward way to learn Joseph Pilates’s authentic techniques. Unlike other books based on Pilates’s teachings, this book illustrates the core matwork movements exactly as he intended them to be performed. Divided into two sections, Pilates Workbook begins with 15 two-page spreads that answer readers’ questions about Pilates and the [...]
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STOTT PILATES Jumpboard SPX Regular The Jumpboard provides a firm, padded jumping surface for plyometric exercises on the STOTT PILATES* Group SPX* Reformer. Attachment posts slip in easily and fasten securely with metal-threaded knobs. Buy/More Info
Product Description In this remarkable new program, Pilates instructor Brooke Siler once again revolutionizes the world of Pilates, reinventing how and where Pilates is performed, to take your fitness to a whole new level. Elegantly designed and beautifully illustrated, Your Ultimate Pilates Body Challenge takes a fresh approach to Pilates, challenging readers to rethink the [...]
And here is the last part of the article on osteoporosis. If you do have osteoporosis – and you MUST take your doctor’s advice before doing any exercises – here are a few “do’s” and “don’t’s”:
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