Did that catch your attention?  Yes today we are talking about the big O.  Not that big O.  This O is for osteoporosis and osteopenia.

So what is osteoporosis?  The big O is a condition where our bones become more brittle and fragile and therefore more likely to fracture.

Osteopenia is like the pre big O, there is some loss of density to the bones,  not enough for a diagnosis of osteoporosis, but enough to be of concern, a diagnosis of osteopenia is a warning sign that your bones are thinning, loosing density and becoming more fragile.

In New Zealand, the current statistics are that 1 in 3 women and 1 in 5 men over the age of 50 will develop osteoporosis.

This is from the Osteo NZ website “Half of those who suffer a hip fracture will require long-term care, and a quarter will suffer an early death. In 2007, the total cost of osteoporosis was over NZ$1 billion, with hip fracture care alone costing NZ$105 million. Every day, NZ$325,000 is spent on treating fractures caused by osteoporosis and 300 people recovering from fractures occupy vital hospital beds. As New Zealand’s 1 million baby boomers retire and age, this burden is set to increase rapidly.

So what can we do?  Exercise, exercise, exercise.  We need to keep our bones strong through stressing them, which means walking,  strength training, and of course yoga, which is fantastic for keeping our bones strong and healthy.  We often associate yoga with stretching but it is actually a very strengthening practice.  Many people who attend yoga for the first time (unless attending a specific restorative or gentle yoga class) are often surprised at the intensity of some of the poses and the practice.

In yoga we stress the bones through all of our standing postures, and the way we emphasize really hugging the muscles on to the bone in other poses.   There has been some great research (Twelve-Minute Daily Yoga Regimen Reverses Osteoporotic Bone Loss) that showed that just 12 minutes of yoga a day can improve bone density.  Dr Loren Fishman has done really lovely work with this, and you can read more about his work and find his 12 minute videos here – https://sciatica.org/other-diagnoses/osteoporosis/

There is a good article on Yoga International speaking to the do’s and dont’s of yoga practice if we have osteoporosis.  A note on this article, there are a lot of dont’s, and as with anything – it depends – seek advise from your medical team as to the stage of your osteo, where it is in your body, and what movements you should avoid.    https://yogainternational.com/article/view/yoga-and-osteoporosis-the-dos-and-donts/ 

Interestingly a study released in June 2026 has shown that taking Vitamin D and Calcium supplements has little to no meaningful benefit in preventing osteoporosis and concludes by saying  – 

“Focus May Shift to Proven Fall Prevention Strategies

In a linked editorial, researchers say more rigorous and well powered clinical trials are needed to guide recommendations for people who may face a higher risk of fractures or falls.

Until then, they argue that resources and funding may be better directed toward strategies that have already demonstrated meaningful benefits. These include balance training, resistance exercise, and personalized fall prevention programs that combine approaches such as exercise, hazard assessment, and education based on an individual’s specific risk factors.” – https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/06/260614011852.htm?shem=rimspwouoe,rimspwouohe,

Key takeaways – eat well, sleep well, move well, get some sun, get out in nature, and have a good giggle every day!  Oh, and do yoga!