I just bought a great new book: Yoga for Osteoporosis: The Complete Guide.

The authors – a physician and an Anusara Yoga instructor – provide both the clinical background on osteoporosis and the rationale for using yoga to combat osteoporosis and osteopenia.

“Yoga promotes balance, increases range of motion and strength, improves manual learning skills, brings relaxation, lowers blood pressure, counters spasticity, generates no impact, and stretches the muscles against themselves, exerting many hundred pounds of pressure on the bones to which they are attached, but in a gradual, nontraumatic and self-regulating way.” (p.75)

Three chapters focus on sets of traditional yoga poses, with modifications for osteoporosis and osteopenia. 

• Poses That Focus on Bone Strength
• Poses That Focus on Muscle Strength
• Poses That Focus on Balance

The poses are based on traditional Iyengar and Anusara alignments and modifications and use props (chairs, tables, walls, blocks, bolsters, etc.) to make the poses accessible and beneficial.

Yoga for Osteoporosis: The Complete Guide 
“Classical yoga poses, as well as physiologically sound adapted poses, are presented with easy-to-follow instructions and photographs.”  (Amazon’s review)