Can Assisted Stretching Affect Bone Density? A Personal Account

Okay… I am 61 years old. There it is, right out there.

Make no mistake, I love being 61. I love having birthdays and becoming older. (It is better than the alternative of not having them...)

Eight years ago, I began to look at age very differently after one of my good friends passed away with cancer at the age of 48. Now, every year is a gift.

But as we age, life can present us with certain health issues.

Recently, I had my annual “lady doctor exam,” mammogram, and bone density test. My last bone density test took place 5 years ago.

Sitting with my doctor to discuss my results, she raised her eyebrows as she asked me, “What are you doing differently? Your spine looks amazing compared to the exam you had 5 years ago.”

“Are you exercising more or have you changed your diet?” she asked.

I was as shocked as she was by my results!

She said that she normally prescribes patients who are my age calcium and vitamin D supplements to improve their bone density... but not me.

Whoa! Really?!

I was happy and she was impressed. But what changed?

I called my husband from the car and told him the news.

He said, “Could it be that you are stretching? That would be the only thing you are doing differently.”

Why didn’t I think of that? I could barely breathe when he said it.

I started The Power To Pause and began advocating for Assisted Stretching in 2017. But my last bone density test was in 2015—two years prior. I wanted to drive back to my doctor’s office to tell her my discovery, but at that point I was almost home.

Could it be that stretching has elongated and opened up my spine, making it healthier?

Researchers still have a lot to learn about how stretching affects our entire bodies, but from my own story… I believe stretching is the reason my bone density improved!

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24 of My Favorite Health and Personal Products

My studio is not just about stretching…

We do way more than stretch here! This is where we come to heal and grow. We share life experiences, body issues, our favorite new restaurants and recipes, travel spots, podcasts, fashion, and much more.

Most importantly, we share a lot of laughs.

I am always on the lookout for new things to share with my students that will benefit their lives!

Here are some of them…

20 Stretching Tools I Always Recommend

The motto for my studio has always been: “Come here and learn… go home and do.”

Research shows that consistency is the key to experiencing the biggest benefits of stretching. A little bit everyday goes a long way.

At the studio, we learn how to use a lot of different types of stretching tools to help us target specific areas of the body. I am always sending Amazon links for these tools to my students!

I am now putting them all in one place so they are easy to find and access. Have fun stretching!

Her Doctor Had Never Seen Someone Her Age Move So Well

This life-changing story from one of my students is too powerful not to share with you all…

After a recent private session, one of my students excitedly shared the results from her latest annual physical checkup. She had some incredible news.

She Didn't Have to Quit Her Job + 2 More Stretching Success Stories

I’ve seen lives changed from Stretch Therapy.

My own life — and the lives of my students.

Here are a 3 success stories from my students:

From Feet Pain to Relief: A Stretching Success Story

Most everyone that I work with, privately or in a group class, has a story about how they wound up seeking Stretch Therapy to relieve some form of pain in their body.

For some, stretching is a last resort effort to avoid surgery.

Some want to avoid injuries so they can stay active.

Some just want to feel good in their body all the time.

Some of my students have become so tight that they can hardly move — so they move less and less.

I always know my private student’s stories because we spend a lot of time together. I don’t always know the stories of the many students who attend my classes at my studio or at the local YMCA that I teach at.

A few weeks ago, at the end of my stretch class at the Y, a man approached me to ask me if he could tell me his story.

4 Holiday Health Hints to Keep Your Body Happy

Holidays are here… and too often, in all the busyness, we can forget to take care of our bodies! Here are 4 easy ways to keep your body happy this holiday season.

It Doesn't Come in a Bottle

This is a really hard question to ask, but…

Are you addicted to Ibuprofen?

If the answer is “yes,” then you are in good company because so many people are.

I have decided to write about it in hopes that this will give people hope that they can find alternative ways to deal with pain and feel better in their mind and body!

I have students that tell me that they have to take Ibuprofen before they work out in order to go through movements without pain.

Could it be magic?

Could “it” be magic? I can’t seem to get this question out of my head. You see, I have a new private student who is an avid golfer. She loves it and seems to be a bit competitive with her fellow golfers.

At our first session, I told her that stretching would improve her golf game.

She looked a me with skepticism, but said “well, if you think so, I hope so, I’ll give it a try.”

She has been stretching with me for 4 weeks now. Yesterday, she casually mentioned to me that she had her best golf game ever the day before.

Hydrate... and then hydrate some more!

Hydration is essential to life!

Think about it…

Every human, every animal, every plant, every tree, every blade of grass needs water to survive. If it doesn’t get enough, it shrivels, dries up, and dies.

What does hydration have to do with stretching, you ask?

Health Tips, Stretch TherapyConnie WilliamsJuly 22, 2020

Can Assisted Stretching Affect Bone Density? A Personal Account

But as we age, life can present us with certain health issues.

Why didn’t I think of that? I could barely breathe when he said it.

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