Customer Reviews

Yoga for Osteoporosis: The Complete Guide

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Yoga for Osteoporosis is guaranteed to take your understanding of the therapeutic application of yoga to a whole new level! (And I say this with great appreciation for the other books on osteoporosis in my extensive yoga/health library.)

As a sixty year old teacher, I have gained renewed confidence and motivation from this book, both in my personal practice and working with students of all ages, into the over ninety range. The information in this book is valuable for younger yogis to prevent bone weakening and injuries, and for those of us at midlife and older to stay strong or to safely recover and rebuild bone density.

Among the many features that sets this book apart is the way the poses are organized and demonstrated at three levels: Osteoporosis Variation (for those who already have a diagnosis of osteoporosis and who need a gentler yet physiologically effective adaptation. Shown here are the use of props such as a wall and chair, especially useful for students with balance problems); Osteopenia Variation (more challenging but with equal emphasis on alignment and safety) and Prevention Variation, all presented with easy-to-follow instructions and photographs.

As in their previous book, Yoga for Arthritis, the reader has the benefit of two experts in the field of yoga: Loren Fishman, MD, a professor at the Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons with an extensive background in Iyengar Yoga, and Ellen Saltonstall, a certified Anusara Yoga instructor and licensed massage therapist.

I rarely use the word "awesome," but what is more awesome than the combination of the best of modern medicine(amazing illustrations of bone structure and the spine, thanks to modern imaging technology) and ancient, timeless wisdom?

Yoga for Osteoporosis is both authoritative and humble, filled with inspiring, wise, common-sense advice: "Young or old, we should all feel respect, even awe, for the complex, sensitive, yet robust organisms we are."

---Suza Francina, author, The New Yoga for Healthy Aging and other books on yoga for people at midlife and older; writer for The National Osteoporosis Foundation website, Yoga for Healthy Bones blog.

I teach a yoga class for people 50 years old and up. I recommend this book to my students for their home practice. It shows a large number of yoga poses at three levels of difficulty, so that students can choose the best level for their own physical condition. People of any age and condition can do yoga--you don't have to be able to twist into a pretzel to start yoga.

I like the way careful attention is paid to alignment, to prevent injuries from stressing joints.

Small scale studies show that yoga truly does increase bone density. Dr. Fishman is running a larger research project to study the effect of yoga on bone density. The book tells how people can become part of this study and receive a DVD to help with daily home practice.

Does yoga have any side effects? Well, as the authors point out, you might end up more relaxed and more flexible, as well as having stronger bones.

This book exceeded my expectations -- it is more than a book of postures. The authors provide a really good education about bone health, osteoporosis, and common treatments.

Every posture is shown as three options, depending on your current health and risk level. I especially appreciate that they give the easiest version first, rather than present it as an alternative if you can't do the "real" (e.g. most difficult/risky) pose.

A great resource.

As an active woman in her 40's who was recently diagnosed with osteoporosis, this book is, to me, a Godsend. All the admonishments from my doctor to avoid twisting or bending were troubling -- how was I supposed to buckle my seatbelt? Adjust the car seat? Turn off the alarm clock? Clip my toenails? Put on my socks? All these daily activities require bending or twisting of some sort, and it's utterly impractical to me to think I can no longer do them. What a relief to study these poses and find there are ways to (a) bend and/or twist safely; (b) that twisting yoga poses are going to improve my spinal density; and (c) doing these poses daily will help me maintain my flexibility so I don't fracture out of sheer inertia. The book is eye-opening on so many levels. I am thrilled to have a program that will improve my bone density without pharmaceuticals. It makes me feel incredibly empowered. The yoga poses are clearly explained; the photographs are wonderful; and best of all, the modifications make yoga accessible to anyone of any BMD or fitness level. Can't say enough good things about this book!

Yoga for Osteoporosis stands out as a resource that will serve both public and professional audiences. The unique mix of good science and simple, practical practice guidelines offers the reader immediate, safe action steps to address this important health challenge. Yoga for Osteoporosis is not just for those with osteoporosis, but should be taught in every high school health and PE class in the country. That would create a literal healthcare re-form as the students rebuild the skeletal infrastructure of this country.

Once again the these authors deliver an accessible, safe and practical guide for readers. Yoga for Osteoporosis clearly communicates the miracle of bone health and how the reader can moment to moment participate in that miracle through conscious action.

Finally, pay attention physical rehabilitation professionals: The authors have delivered a powerful tool for consumers to claim their central role in their bone health. They won't pay for the tired old straight plane calisthenics taught in most programs for osteoporosis once they have experienced Yoga for Osteoporosis!

With below average bone density, I'm searching for ways to ward off osteoporosis as I age, without taking any of the nasty side-effect inducing drugs being pushed by big pharma. I'd heard about Dr. Fishman's study and anxiously awaited the book, hoping it would offer a simple program I could follow at home. I have good reading comprehension skills, but a lot of the discussion in the first part of the book was written in a dry and technical manner and I found wading through it to be a chore. The second half of the book sets forth the recommended poses, with variations presented depending on your current bone strength and level of ability. Black and white photos accompany the pose descriptions. While I think the possibilities of yoga as a means to prevent bone loss are fascinating, I feel this book is more suited to those who have a good grasp of medical jargon and human anatomy than perhaps the average person on the street.

NOTE: I received a free review copy of this book from the web site Metapsychology Online Reviews; you can read a more detailed version of my review on that site.

Authors Loren Fishman, a doctor, and Ellen Saltonstall, an Ansura yoga instructor, certainly make a compelling case for the current crisis of osteoporosis facing Americans. They roll out statistic after statistic: 55% of everyone over age 50 is known to have low bone mass; osteoporosis is responsible for more than 1.5 million hip fractures annually; women are just as likely to die after a hip fracture as they are from breast cancer; and so the list goes on.

Those of us who have reached our 30s and beyond need to be particularly concerned, as bone mass in the body reaches a natural maximum around the age of 30. After this, the rate of bone loss accelerates; although the bones can continue to be strengthened after age 40, for the most part, the rate of this deterioration can not be outpaced. But there is hope, and according to Fishman and Saltonstall, the best hope for both the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis is yoga. The authors emphasize that yoga is most effective when utilized as preventative practice, particularly when started at a young age. They state that yoga can serve to both strengthen bones and to raise peak bone mass. The authors do acknowledge that other types of exercise could serve to produce these same results. However, they distinguish yoga for several reasons, including its portability, its accessibility to all ages, its low cost (free to do in one's own home), its promotion of independence, and its timelessness.

The final four chapters of the book center around building an actual yoga practice. The first of these, "Before You Start," provides a basic overview of how the remaining chapters are organized, discusses contraindications, suggests useful props (including 3-5 blankets, 3 blocks, 2 bolsters, 2 belts, and 2 yoga mats), and reviews a few basic guidelines on form. The three chapters which follow offer postures which focus on Bone Strength, Muscle Strength, or Balance. Every single pose listed is shown at three levels: the first is the most modified Osteoporosis Variation, the second is the Osteopenia Variation, and the third is the Prevention Variation, with step-by-step numbered instructions given for each. Clear black and white photographs also accompany every pose. For those who already have prior yoga experience, this level of detail might feel somewhat cumbersome, but for those new to a yoga practice, the intelligent combination of text and illustration presented by Fishman and Saltonstall is likely to be invaluable.

I am in my early 40s, and I generally believe I am doing the "right" things to be fit and healthy: I exercise nearly every day, and I actually already practice yoga an average of about 3-4 times per week. However, my yoga sessions tend to be more on the gentle side, and after reading Fishman and Saltonstall's book, I realize that striving for greater variety in my routines might better serve me in the crucial task of osteoporosis prevention. Although I am obviously a proponent of yoga myself and wholeheartedly agree that yoga is a practice which can be of benefit to all, I also found the authors to be a bit unfair in their criticisms of some other fitness disciplines. For example, they are rather dismissive of Pilates other than to say that "many Pilates exercises are derived from yoga poses" (there is actually no evidence for this; Joseph Pilates developed his system out of his work as a gymnast). Similarly, they fail to note that weight-lifting (which they do acknowledge is effective in building bone strength), like yoga itself, can be easily modified to reduce the risk of injury.

Overall, this book is an important work. Certainly it is a must-read for anyone diagnosed with osteopenia or osteoporosis, particularly those who are motivated to proactively treat their condition. But I would also recommend it for those who, like me, are in 30s or 40s, are active and healthy, and simply want to stay that way.

Have only been using this book a short time, but I am really impressed. The exercises are graded according to whether the reader has osteoporosis, osteopenia, or is aiming at prevention. So I feel safe knowing the exercises I choose are appropriate. The book also has plenty of information on how bone loss and bone gain happens, plus advice on food etc. I thoroughly recommend this book for any woman wanting to protect and improve her bones.

This book is well organized and offers modifications for all levels of fitness. I am a yoga teacher and have integrated material from this book into my classes. I do recommend this book. It will help you focus your yoga practice on building strong bones.

Information based on studies -- some from the Mayo Clinic.
Provides yoga poses to build bone. Helped me develop a routine for my yoga practice that targets bone strengthening.