Pilates and Osteoporosis

Pilates is effective in preventing osteoporosis

Pilates is good for people who are trying to prevent osteoporosis. Many people will have this condition affect them during their lifetime. In fact, “one in every 2 women and 1 in every 4 men aged 50 or older will suffer an osteoporosis-related hip, spine or wrist fracture during their lives.”

1 This wide-spread condition can be prevented by several things:

Weight-bearing exercise
General good nutrition
Diet high in calcium and vitamin D
Stress reduction

Pilates can’t help you decide what to fix for breakfast, or which vitamins to take; but it can help you with weight-bearing exercise and stress reduction. The specific and aligned movements in Pilates build cartilage while strengthening the bones and muscles. Pilates also improves your overall health and fitness which helps you feel healthier and deal with stress better.

In fact, “research has shown that physical exercise alone can halt the progression of bone loss.”

2 Many health professionals suggest Pilates as a great way to build this strength. Pilates is generally viewed as a non-weight bearing exercise because of its low impact nature. However, Pilates can be considered a weight-bearing exercise for osteoporosis. This is because it puts resistance on the muscles that surround bones which strengthens the bones themselves through a pulling action. This makes Pilates great for older adults who want exercises with weight-bearing benefits but don’t want the joint stress caused by high impact exercises.

Modified Pilates is good for people with Osteoporosis.

Many Pilates exercises are also good for people who already have Osteoporosis. Obviously not all exercises can be done, but a bone-building program can be established with exercises that emphasize body awareness and trunk elongation.
Some exercises that are fine for those with osteoporosis include swimming, dart, and breaststroke. These are performed in the prone position. They work to pull and strengthen the muscles along the spine. Also “the side kick series of Pilates exercises requires the muscles to pull along the femur and hip girdle helping to strengthen these bones.”

3 Pilates exercises help people develop correct spinal alignment and core control. It also offers safe options with resistance exercises which can actually build bone density and increase muscle strength.

4 In one study, a 36-year old woman suffering from Graves Disease broke her vertebrae when she sneezed! After 7 years of suffering, this woman began a modified Pilates program. She was scared, but also hopeful. She wanted to gain more body awareness, and strengthen her core muscles. She hoped to strengthen her back muscles as well. “As a result of the program, her endurance improved, her pain decreased and she gained more confidence in doing activities without risking further fractures.”

5  So whether you are trying to prevent osteoporosis, or you already have osteoporosis, Pilates can help you strengthen your muscles and bones and have overall better health.

Exercise Technique:

Side Kick
Setup:
    Line the entire body against the back of your mat
    Keep head on arm
    Place top hand 6 inches in front of the chest (on the mat)
Action:
    Engage abs and lift both legs and move them to the front of the mat (diagonally)
    Keep hips and shoulders stacked
    Lift top leg to hip level, kick twice forward, and swing back to back side of mat
    Complete 8-10 reps
Complete on other side.

Variations:
    Up/down – working the upper leg parallel (point up, flex down)
        a. flat leg up, resist 3 counts to lower
        b. resist the leg up 3 counts, float leg back down
    Little circles
        Inward and outward (heels lightly tap with each circle)


Healthy Fall Recipe:

 
Bone-Healthy Salmon Chowder
This chowder is rich in omega-3 fats. These are beneficial to your bones and your heart. It also supplies nearly all the vitamin D and ½ of the calcium most adults need daily.
3 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp flour
1 chopped onion
1-2 cloves minced garlic
4 diced potatoes
3 diced carrots
2 cups milk
6 ounces cooked salmon –canned or fresh
1 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste
•    Heat margarine in medium saucepan over medium heat.
•    Add onion and sauté until nearly translucent; add garlic, stirring constantly and cooking until softened.
•    Add flour and stir until mixed in.
•    Gradually add milk stirring to a creamy and thin white sauce.
•    Add potato and carrots.
•    Simmer on low heat covered, stirring every so often until potatoes and carrots are tender. (approx 15-20 minutes)
•    Add fish and parsley. Season with salt and pepper and stir.
•    Serve warm. Refrigerate unused portion.
Makes 4 servings (about 3/4 cup each).
Approx nutrition per serving: 348 calories; 18 gr protein; 35 gr carbohydrate; 3 gr fiber; 15 gr fat; 3 gr sat fat; 40 mg cholesterol; 213 mg sodium; 169 IU Vitamin D; 155 mg calcium.

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1National Osteoporosis Foundation [NOF] 2005.
2Smith & Gilligan 1987
3Adolfs, Jennifer Weight Bearing Exercise for Osteoporosis Using Pilates
4Nickenig, Tisha Brittle Bones
5Bonner, F.J., et al. 2003. Health professional’s guide to rehabilitation of the patient with osteoporosis. Osteoporosis International, 14 (Suppl. 2), S1-22.