Healthy Bones

Only for those with submitted Medical Release form and prior class attendance.

Healthy Bones Instruction

Tips for Helping You Feel Comfortable Doing the Project Healthy Bones Exercises at Home

By: Sally Fullman

Sit in a chair with your feet flat on the floor, your body facing straight ahead. Be aware of how your body feels. Now lift your feet slightly and be aware of how your body feels. Ooh! Tremendous stress on your spine and legs. Now bring your feet back to the floor. This will remind you of the benefit of keeping your feet flat on the floor for the seated exercises.

Sit in a chair. Slouch a little. Feels pretty good at first. Now lift your pelvic area, tuck in your tummy, lift your chest and shoulders, hold your head high, and tuck in chin. Relax. Smile. You feel much stronger now, don’t you? See if you can maintain that same beautiful posture when you are seated.

Have an internal awareness of your posture. It’s important because the bones in the front of our backbone are weaker and can break more easily. They don’t have muscle attachments to keep them strong. It is your job to protect them.

This is not a strength training and muscle building program. It is a program designed to stimulate bones and improve muscle tone. Please start with a limited number of repetitions and low weights. You can increase them when you feel ready. Your bone strength and quality will respond with progressive exercise and weights, and it is a good way to build muscle strength safely.

As we age, we generally have more than one health concern. All of us are concerned about osteoporosis, but some of us also have arthritis, shoulder pain and back pain, diabetes, etc. We want to go slowly as we exercise so that other parts of our body are not put under strain.

When you think of your Healthy Bones class or the exercises, see if a smile comes to your lips, one that warms your heart. Everything about Healthy Bones is voluntary – your attendance, your peer leaders’ guidance, your friendship with others in class. No one is critical of anyone else; we are all together as friends. We are a family. It is a gift in our lives, being together as friends, strengthening our bodies and minds and hearts.