How does Pilates help bone health?
Pilates can help people with weakened bones by:
- Increasing strength and muscle mass, facilitating the support of bones and joints
- Improving balance and movement patterns, which can help prevent falls that might result in fractured bone
- Improving breathing patterns, which can help ribcage mobility, posture and relaxation
- Improving flexibility and posture, which can help keep the bones in alignment and prevent muscle and nerve injury and pain
Pilates exercises will be modified by your Chartered Physiotherapist to make the exercises safe for osteoporosis and osteopenia because some of the traditional Pilates exercises would be contraindicated. Certain movements need to be avoided such as flexion exercises, sit ups, sudden or abrupt movements and flexion extension with rotation. You should NEVER curl your head, neck and shoulders up in a Pilates class as in a sit up exercise. Flexion and rotation cause compressive forces on the spine and should be avoided.
Indicated exercises for Osteoporosis are working in a neutral spine, spinal extension exercises, balance and proprioception and dynamic loading. Dynamic loading is created by weightbearing or muscular contraction. Traditional Pilates will not promote enough weight bearing to build bone density. Therefore we will work in standing, standing on one leg, four point kneeling, plank positions and squatting.
All of our classes are safe for Osteoporosis.
- We offer one to one private Pilates sessions for Osteoporosis.
- All classes and private sessions can be booked online.
Click BOOK A CLASS above
Click ONLINE STORE & choose the service you require
Contact Louise 087 937 6858, lorphysio@gmail.com
Useful websites:
www.irishosteoporosis.ie
www.betterbones.com