We all want strong bones. Yet, in the United States, a whopping 10 million people over the age of 50 years have osteoporosis. Another 43 million people live with low bone density, known as osteopenia. Anyone who wants to protect their bones as they age should consider strengthening their core.
Don’t worry, you don’t need a rippling six-pack to have stronger bones. But strong and sturdy core muscles can improve your posture, protect you from injury, and build strong bones in your spine.
Posture, Core Strength, and Your Bones
Our spines have a natural s-shaped curve that allow us to evenly distribute weight throughout the body. However, various lifestyle factors can cause us to use poor posture, which makes our spines come out of this alignment. Weight is then distributed unevenly, which puts us at a greater risk of fracture.
One of the primary causes of bad posture is low core strength. Without enough strength, we overcompensate by putting our spines out of alignment. By strengthening your core muscles, you give your spine more support so that it can get back to its natural curve.
The Protective Power of a Strong Core
The biggest threat to your bone health is a bad fall. This is true of anyone, regardless of age. Think of the kids that end up in casts because they fell while playing a sport, riding a bike, or doing something else active.
As we lose bone density in later years, even small stumbles can hurt our bones. This is made worse by the fact that people also lose balance in older age. The combination is a recipe for fractures. Improving core strength can help.
When you strengthen your back and abdominal muscles, your balance improves as well. This makes stumbles and falls less likely in the first place. Furthermore, A strong core can help you catch yourself if you do start to fall.
The Right Kind of Stress for Strong Bones
Stress that comes from injury and falls is not good for the bones, obviously. However, some kinds of stress can actually help your bones become more dense. By safely exercising your abdominal muscles, you put this good stress on your spine and pubic bones.
The process of strengthening your core muscles encourages the connecting bones to create more spongy tissue in the inner layers. This is exactly what we want when we are reversing osteoporosis or osteopenia. You want strong bones. And guess what? You don’t even to be an astronaut to work on building strong bones.
How to Strengthen Your Core Muscles in a Bone-Safe Way
Core strength is important for bone health, but don’t drop down and do a bunch of crunches. That’s not necessarily a bone-safe exercise. Instead, consider bone-safe yoga practices. The Bone Builder System is specifically designed to build core strength and much more. Join the waitlist here.
