After the age of 40, regular practice of these asanas can promote blood circulation and improve bone health!

Around the age of 30, the body's bone mass, joint performance and muscle state peak, and then enter the stage of aging and loss. Beginning at age 40, aging and loss begin to accelerate as you age. When the "expenditure" is greater than the "income", if the bone mass and muscle mass are not "reserved" and maintained in time, the condition of the musculoskeletal system will deteriorate.

The data show that after the age of 30, bone mass begins to slowly lose and may eventually develop into osteoporosis. Among Chinese women over the age of 65, 51.6% suffer from osteoporosis. The increased prevalence of osteoporosis is mainly closely related to the decrease in sex hormone levels caused by increasing age, and the decline in estrogen levels is particularly pronounced in women after menopause, so the prevalence of female patients is significantly higher than that of men.

The more we learn about bone health, the more we can lay the foundation for healthy bones. Yoga is a weight-bearing exercise, which means that you can bear the weight of your body against gravity. Fighting gravity puts a slight pressure on the bone. This pressure forces the bone to grow back.

But unlike some other weight-bearing exercises, yoga doesn't damage cartilage or stress joints. Instead, it lengthens the muscle and keeps it there, creating tension on the bone.

For example, in both poses, Warrior I and Warrior II, the legs bear weight because they support the weight of the body. However, by bending your front knee 90 degrees, you're doing more than simply taking the weight of your front leg; you're also amplifying the force on your femur.

In Warrior II, you also applied force to the shoulder joint. Since you're sticking your arms out of your body, the head of your humerus is under a lot more pressure than it would be if you were hanging on the sides.

In addition to exercise, nutritional supplements are also required. In addition to small amounts of protein-rich foods, eat some vegetables. This balance may be an important factor in bone improvement. Studies have shown that too much protein in the diet may actually be unhealthy for bones. Because proteins form acids. When too much acid enters the bloodstream, the body absorbs alkaline calcium from the bones to neutralize it.

Most people eat twice as much protein as the body needs, so high amounts of acid in the body can cause protein to excrete too much calcium. Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables can help improve this imbalance. Of course, it's important to control the ratio of fruit and vegetable intake to animal protein intake.

Minimize acidic foods with alkaline-rich fruits and foods to support bone health.

Good to Eat: Low-acid (alkaline) foods, dried fruits, vegetables (especially broccoli, cabbage, tomatoes, kale, and zucchini), fresh fruits (especially apples, pineapples, bananas, oranges, and peaches)

Eat less of these: high-acid foods, meat, eggs, fish

If you want to prevent bone loss, yoga may be a good choice. Just 10 minutes a day of yoga can benefit you. Almost any standing pose will serve the purpose.

But it can also be harmful if practiced incorrectly. For example, in people with osteoporosis, bending forward (curvature of the spine) may increase the likelihood of spinal injury by placing excessive pressure on the front and back of the vertebrae.

Twists are another potentially dangerous pose because they place the spine in a vulnerable position. Sleeping on your back is more suitable. In this way, the spine is fully supported and elongated.

Of course, all poses can be practiced, including forward bends, backbends, twists, and handstands, if you're just preventing.

If you're in the early stages of bone loss, you can slow your symptoms with as little as 10 minutes of yoga a day.

The pose below is a great place to start. The goal is to build strength and balance while maximizing stability and safety. These poses are not designed in series, you can add them to your regular practice.

1. Tree style

Standing in Mountain Pose, keep your left leg balanced, bend your right knee, place the sole of your right foot on the base of your left thigh, and keep your body in a neutral position. Put your hands together in front of your chest, stabilize for a few seconds to find a sense of balance, inhale, raise your arms straight up above your head, and maintain an even and long breath. Stay here for 3-5 groups of natural and smooth breathing. With the next exhale, bring your hands back and your right foot back to the mountain stance. Do the reverse exercise.

2. Magic chair

Standing in Mountain Pose, lift your hands up by the side of your body and straighten your elbows; exhale, bend your knees, lower your hips, and squat down until your thighs are parallel to the ground, keeping your back straight and your heels on the ground. Raise your chest, sink your shoulders, tighten your thigh muscles, be careful not to lift your hips, maintain this position, and breathe normally.

3. Bridge

Lie on your back with your hands by your sides, feet hip-width apart, toes pointed straight ahead, knees bent close to hips, calves perpendicular to the ground, exhale, lift hips up, shoulders and arms facing Press down to the ground, lift your chest up, put your palms together under your body, or hold your ankles with both hands, keeping your legs parallel, knees pointing straight ahead, and calves perpendicular to the ground.

4. Warrior I

Mountain pose preparation. Put your feet 1 meter or more apart (the legs can be longer), and your heels are in line. Open the right foot 90 degrees to the right, turn the left foot 30 degrees inward, and turn the upper torso completely to the right leg. Inhale and stretch your arms up. Exhale, bend your right leg until your thigh is parallel to the floor. Hold for 5--10 breaths, looking at your hands.

5. Warrior II

Stand in mountain pose, press your feet against the mat, straighten your pelvis, open your chest and shoulders; inhale, open your feet more than one leg, open your right foot 90 degrees, exhale, raise your arms to the height of your shoulders, Bend the right knee until the knee is directly above the ankle, the upper and lower legs are at 90 degrees, the arms and shoulders are in a straight line, hold 3-5 sets of deep breaths, then switch to the other side

6. Tiger Balance

Start in a four-legged kneeling position, then lift and extend the opposite arm and leg. After holding for a few breaths, switch arms and legs raised.