Yoga, Stretching, and Bone Health with Jules Mitchell
When it comes to bone health, the world of fitness advice can feel confusing. Should you stretch more, lift heavy, or stick to yoga? In this episode of Stronger Bones Lifestyle, Debi Robinson sits down with her very first yoga teacher, Jules Mitchell, a yoga educator and biomechanics expert, to unpack the truth about yoga, stretching, and bone strength.
Jules, the author of Yoga Biomechanics: Stretching Redefined, shares her unique perspective on what stretching really is, how to safely load your bones and joints, and why injury prevention isn’t just about muscles and skeletons. It’s also about awareness, mindset, and progression.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode
- What “stretching” actually means in the body (i.e., flexibility vs. mechanical tension).
- The concept of optimal loading: specificity, variability, and progression.
- Why injuries often happen when we do too much for our capacity.
- How yoga develops body awareness and confidence that supports bone health.
- The role of psychosocial factors (stress, mindset, lifestyle) in pain and injury recovery.
Action Steps
- Explore yoga not just as exercise, but as a tool for awareness and safe progression.
- Pay attention to your body’s signals and move at a pace that matches your capacity.
- Consider adding variability and frequency into your movement practice to support bone health.
- Seek guidance from experienced teachers or therapists who understand bone health.
Extend Your Learning: Online Education With Jules
Yoga Biomechanics Livestream
My flagship 3-day livestream course is for teachers who have an insatiable curiosity about human movement and kinesiology, are eager to know what the research says about yoga, and are open to accepting that alignment rules aren’t always accurate. Includes 30 days of access to the livestream replay and slides. 18 CEUs. Learn more >