Movesmart Movement with Alison Crouch

I'm tired of people being told they have to lift their body weight or that they can't lift more than 10 lbs. I'm tired of people not being empowered to help their bones with straightforward, practical exercise!

My program, the MoveSMART Method for Osteoporosis, is designed for busy people who want a reliable, safe exercise program with personal support and coaching from me and guest experts.

Come to my free backstage tour on Thursday August 20 at 4 pm EDT and I'll tell you exactly how it's all laid out, exactly what the best things are to include in your workouts and how I can help you get consistent and confident within 90 days!

There's a replay for everyone who registers, so if the time zone doesn't work for you, sign up anyway 😄

Save your spot here, your bones will thank you! https://www.movesmartmovement.com/webinar/osteoporosis-the-movesmart-method-open-house-aug/register

We need a good hip hinge for that straight spine when we have osteoporosis, so give those 4 moves a try and see how they feel!

Remember that everyone's body is different and ranges of motion, capacity for knee bending and sense of body awareness will vary from person to person.

Be curious, play with these moves as a way to open up the backs of your hips and allow you to move freely and easily without flexing your spine.

Follow me Alison Crouch Osteoporosis & exercise coach for more useful, practical tips for osteoporosis and exercise!

Xo
Alison

❌ You DO NOT have to start your osteoporosis and exercise journey by picking up a barbell and deadlifing your body weight!

In fact, I really don't want you to do that! No matter what you hear from fitness influencers, we absolutely do not *start* by doing really heavy lifting.

When you first get your diagnosis, take a breath. You're ok, there are lots of things you can do safely and you want to start with a plan that works for where your body is right now.

✅ Your current level of strength
✅ Your current fracture situation
✅ Your body awareness
✅ Your mobility
✅ Your back, hips, knees and shoulders...

All of those things play into how you start your strength training!

If you want to get up to heavy lifting (super effortful by the time you've done 3-5 reps) amazing! Your bones will love it!

If you stick with moderate lifting (super effortful at 8-12 reps) your bones will love that too!

According to recent research, 3 sessions a week of moderate intensity lifting is effective for bone health. And if that's what you can commit to and be consistent with for years to come, gradually increasing your weights over time so they're always in that challenging by 8-12 reps range? You're golden! 💪 🙌 🏅

So if you're afraid you're not doing enough, or you're afraid to stop what you're doing even if it hurts, please know that you're ok. You don't have to go to extremes and you can take a break, step back and work on your form and technique, the accessory exercises that help your body feel good and you'll be honouring your bone density and all the other parts of your amazing self!

Follow along Alison Crouch Osteoporosis & exercise coach for more support, 💗 and practical tips for real people with osteoporosis (and of course that includes me 😄 🦴)



PMCID: PMC9941565  PMID: 36824476

Osteoporosis got you feeling like a robot? Try this gentle, spine-smart rotation!

When it comes to rotation, we do want to limit end range (as far as you can go) twists. That's sad for those of us who love those big juicy twists in our yoga and Pilates classes,but we don't want to stop rotating completely either!

Intuitively it feels like we need to go to those end range positions to maintain our range of motion, but this safer strategy works too 😄

But first... This is not medical advice and I'm not there with you in person. This slow, intentional, non-end range, non-weighted move is lovely for most of us. If you have a history of spontaneous compression fractures, this may not be for you.

Please check with your physiotherapist or other allied care professional before adding new moves post-fracture! 💗💗💗

Ok, so here's the deal.

Doing a series of gentle rotations where you DON'T go as far as your end range can actually increase your end range, therefore making exercise and everyday life easier and safer for our our spines. And it feels good!

✅ DO stay in at most about 60-70% of your end range
✅ DO stay long and tall through your spine with no crunch down on one side as you rotate
✅ DO feel free to do this on a chair or standing if the floor is not your friend and you can't sit all the way upright when you're down there

❌ DON'T force yourself past where it feels fluid and controlled
❌ DON'T be in a position where your back is curved forward so you avoid a compound motion of flexion and rotation
❌ DON'T go fast, this is a mindful, controlled, intention movement 😄

It does not feel dramatic... 😞 It doesn't feel like a big rewarding stretch.

But it does mean you can check your blind spot without twisting to end range! You can turn to reach for the peanut butter without forcing your spine past a healthy range of motion. You can stay limber and comfortable in your back, use your core muscles and feel confident all at the same time!

What do you think? Is this something you'll try? Save it for later and share with an osteoporosis buddy!

Xo Alison

I've been there... I got my diagnosis and felt completely betrayed. I was a Pilates instructor and a natural movement coach. I walked. A lot! I ate well and come from a family that values exercise and nutrition... How could my body and my bones have let me down like that??

It took a while to get past that and to really *feel* the reality that there are things I can't control.

🧬 My genetic background
⚖️ My size and lifelong lower weight
🥩 🍅 🧀 What turns out to probably be a lifelong gut issue that affected my nutrient absorption
🦴 Low peak bone mass (I had low bone mass in my spine in my 30s which I reversed with exercise)

If this is you, and you're feeling like you can't be properly in your body any more, that you don't really trust yourself anymore, take a breath. I've got you 💕

First off, it's totally normal to feel this way! And also, osteoporosis is not your fault.

We do the best we can with the knowledge we have in the time we're living in. Do I want my daughter to build her peak bone mass now in her 30s? Yes! Is it helpful to beat myself up for not lifting weights when I was in my own 30s? Nope. I was doing other fun exercise things!

And finally, one of the best ways I know of to get back on track and to re connect to your body and re build that relationship is to move. Yes, you may need to shift a few things. Less end range stretching, more strength training. Adding agility and balance work to your walking routine.

But we can move safely and the best thing we can do for our bones and our brains is to get started if you've never been an exerciser and get back to it if you stopped because you're worried about what's safe.

I can help you! Follow Alison Crouch Osteoporosis & exercise coach, save this for a day when you need some back up and share with a friend who's feeling betrayed too!

Try any lower body exercise from squats to lunges to a walk with the dog, then do this on both feet. Then try your exercise again and see how it feels!

For those of us with osteoporosis who are, and want to stay, active, agile, nimble, coordinated and fracture-free it's important to train for it and foot work is a huge part of that!

Pickleball, hiking, running, biking, dancing, playing with busy grandkids, playing with pets at the park, paddle boarding, they all require a certain adept movement and strong, flexible feet are part of that. What else can you think of?

Not all the exercises that are best for osteoporosis have to do with bone density. Some of them are about staying busy and having fun, knowing that you're doing everything you can to protect your bones AND maintain your life and sense of self 😄💗😄

I use the original size balls from Tune Up Fitness for this, but of course a tennis ball or something from the dollar store will work too!

Let me know in the comments how this one feels!

Hip mobility, squats, lunges, pushing exercises like planks, push ups and narrow chest press and pulling exercises like bent over rows and lay pulls all made today's cleaning task pretty straightforward!

The key here is to do all these moves and positions with a long, straight spine so I avoid excess flexion.

Should I never ever flex my spine? Of course not, that's not practical! But we limit flexion to reduce our fracture risk while still taking care of everyday life!

Think about how you move everyday and which exercises you do to support your osteoporosis. Make sure your training program includes exercises for both!

Let me know in the comments... What exercises do you do to help you stay spine-safe and spine-smart?

Xo
Alison

I get why you're afraid to move! An osteoporosis diagnosis comes with a lot of fear and anxiety around what's safe and what's not.

I'm here to tell you that not only is it ok to move, movement and exercise are a key part of supporting our bones!

We want to build a solid strength training practice where you gradually increase your weights over time.

We want to play with balance, agility, speed and power exercises so we stay responsive and agile. Not only does that reduce our fall and fracture risk, it keeps us hot on the pickle all court or chasing after pets and grandkids!

We do want to limit (but definitely not eliminate) fast, forceful, weighted, end range flexion of the spine (bending at your hips is excellent) as well as side bending and rotation.

That doesn't mean never twist or how will you check your blind spot? It means don't force your twist, or twist with extra weight.

I teach my clients how to modify their yoga or Pilates practice, how to lift weights safely and effectively and how to go back to their confident, active selves.

Want to know more to get your confidence back? Follow me here click here to sign up for my newsletter! https://app.getresponse.com/site2/movesmart_movement/?u=SlMd9&webforms_id=zOefi

Xoxo Alison 💗

You can take a break and your bones will be fine!

If you want to work out, make sure it's a cooler space and that you're well hydrated.

Expect to tire faster and that's ok... Your bones will be fine if you don't progress your weights when it's unusually hot. You can do that next week!

🥵 🫠 🔆 🌞🌡️