Tips For Trainers, By Trainers: GYROTONIC® Modifications For Someone With Osteoporosis
Tips For Trainers // May 01, 2017
By Dr. Justine Bernard – Physical Therapist and GYROTONIC® Master Trainer.
Hamstrings on the floor 1): Get on and off the floor with an elongated spine. Go from standing to kneeling, with use of hands if needed, side-lying, roll with long spine onto back. Reverse to get up.
Hamstrings on the floor 2): Allows client to get up from hamstring series with out curling and compressing the spine. Also, this gives feed back from the floor assist, with re-education of posture using the principle of the fifth line.
There is a lot of fear surrounding the diagnosis of Osteoporosis: porous bones, and yes- the very real risk of fracturing a bone, which does double with the diagnosis of Osteoporosis. This is why the exercise modification for someone diagnosed with Osteoporosis is generally to avoid flexion or curling of the spine.
However, it is not that simple. The more informed you are as a teacher, the more confidence you can instill into your clients to get moving and breathing and to return strength and pliability to their bones.
One of the easiest, and one of my favorite, modifications is to do hamstrings on the floor. We work on the floor because getting on and off the Gyrotonic benches can cause excessive flexion with compression of the spine for someone with Osteoporosis.
Additional benefits include improving balance and a prolonged life! http://www.everydayhealth.com/senior-health/1214/do-it-yourself-health-tests-for-longevity.aspx
