I?ve checked your forum and Structural Yoga Therapy book in search of an answer to the question of whether standing balancing poses like tree and eagle are good weight-bearing exercises to help prevent osteoporosis. I know the standing poses and inversions are good for this, but don?t find any evidence that the balancing poses like Tree Pose, Eagle, Warrior III, etc are good weight-bearing poses for preventing osteoporosis. I have a friend with osteopenia who has asked me if balancing poses are good weight-bearing poses. I have told her the standing poses (Triangle, Warrior II, Parsvakonasana, etc.) are good poses, but don?t know about tree and eagle. Thank you for your help. I enjoy getting your electronic newsletter and have greatly enjoyed and used your book, Structural Yoga Therapy.
In theory any poses that put stress on the bone tissues will help prevent osteoporosis. Balance poses will certainly tone abductors and adductors, which in turn may stress the femur and hip joint. though i suspect this theory is quite limited in its understanding of the condition. Not being well trained in medical information, i cannot answer this. instead i would recommend you check with the yoga research and education center, the experts on what has been tested. www.yrec.org and ask there. You can also go to esutra group at esutra-owner@lists.esutra.com and ask to be put on the list then you can ask the group of over 1000, many are medically trained yoga professionals receiving those messages, perhaps they can answer this query. namaste mukunda