Weekend Challenge: Femur And Abs Sofa Strengthener - Save Our Bones

We’re in the heart of winter here in the Northern Hemisphere, and cold weather might be keeping you indoors. Of course, when the weather gets chilly, the temptation is to snuggle under a blanket on the couch and not move.

But your bone health depends on movement all year ‘round, and besides, exercise warms you up!

So this weekend’s exercise, which targets the waist and thighs, provides you with an easy way to build your bones – even while you’re lying on the couch. Let’s get started!

Why:

This move works the muscles along your sides that define your waistline. Known as the obliques, these muscles run in layers along your ribs to your pelvis.

Toning the obliques – both external and internal – is about much more than trimming down your waist and reducing “love handles.” The obliques, which are part of your abdominal muscles, actually play an important role in bone health.

For example, the external and internal obliques work against each other to facilitate the rotation of your torso, stabilizing your spine, ribs, and pelvis to allow you to bend, twist, and otherwise move your upper body.

Additionally, the obliques work with the diaphragm muscle to open the rib cage and promote deep breathing, an essential element in alkalizing the body. For more on how deep breathing alkalizes the body, please read this article: Alkalize Your pH With This Amazingly Easy Trick.

As you work your obliques in today’s challenge, you’ll be raising and lowering your leg and working your hip joint. It is a low-impact motion that increases mobility in the pelvis and helps build bone density in this crucial area.

And finally, this weekend’s challenge works the thigh muscles, directly stimulating the femur bone to build and strengthen. Savers know that bisphosphonates such as Fosamax (alendronate), Boniva (ibandronate), or Reclast (zoledronic acid), have been linked to atypical femoral fractures. The Femur And Abs Strengthener is an excellent way to exercise the vulnerable femoral neck, thigh bone, and pelvis to stave off hip fractures.

And here’s the best news: you can do all of this while lying on the couch! So let’s get started.

How:

  1. On your couch, lie on your side with your legs extended. For clarity, let’s say your left side. Prop your upper body up with pillows, leaning comfortably on your left elbow. Extend your right leg toward the end of the couch, and bend your left knee slightly. As you can see in the animation, this is a typical “couch position”!
  2. Flex the toes on your right foot (this is the opposite of “pointing” your toes) and bring your right leg up as far as you comfortably can (aim for getting your leg straight up at a 90-degree angle). Keep your toes flexed and your right foot flat.
  3. Lower your leg back down and repeat this leg raise 12 to 15 times, making sure not to fling your leg or rely on momentum rather than muscle strength to raise and lower your leg. Feel free to do fewer or more leg lifts, depending on your fitness and comfort level.
  4. Switch sides and repeat the leg lifts with your left leg.

We suggest following this challenge with these three exercises to complete your “couch workout”:

Isn’t it encouraging to know that you can actually do a bone-building workout right on your couch? Like the moves in the Densercise™ Epidensity Training System and all of the other Weekend Challenges, this exercise is designed to be convenient and easily performed in the comfort of your own home. After all, it’s hard to make excuses when your workout doesn’t even require you to get off the couch!

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Please feel free to share your thoughts about today’s challenge by leaving a comment below.

Enjoy the weekend!

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Comments on this article are closed.

  1. Anne

    Vivian – I am doing some of your exercises and they are all excellent. Many thanks.

    I have a question: Is it possible to by a printed copy of Bone Appetit? This would be much preferred to download and print. The photo shows a book. Hope one is available.

    • Vivian Goldschmidt, MA

      I am glad you’re enjoying the exercises, Anne! Bone Appetit is only available in PDF format, but you are welcome to print it out yourself, either at home or at an office supply store. 🙂

  2. Maggie

    Thank you for your emails, Vivian. I haven’t been following your program exactly but I have been doing parts of it. With only doing parts of it my bone density scan went from -2.5– -2.2 in six months. I don’t know if that is terrific or not but I feel that it is a significant improvement. I will start following your program as I am pleased with these results for the effort I out in. Imagine if I really do this!!

    Maggie

    • Vivian Goldschmidt, MA

      That’s definitely progress, Maggie! You’re moving in the right direction. 🙂 Keep up the good work!

  3. Ivy

    Thanks for all the advice to strengthen our bones. Most of the exercises demonstrated are part of my yoga classes. Now I know why the instructors include them.

  4. Lidia

    Thanks Vivian, and is perfect for me too, I have two days in bed and was feeling weak but move the legs help, it is simple but really help, thanks again, Lidia

  5. Iris

    What a great idea, Vivian! I sit on my couch in the evening watching the news, without moving. I’ll do this exercise from now on. Thank you!

    • Vivian Goldschmidt, MA

      This sounds perfect for you, Iris!

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