Bones for Life®: Transform Your Posture and Strength with Somatic Movement
“Bones for Life” is a revolutionary program by Ruthy Alon, a renowned Feldenkrais Trainer (1930-2020).
Under her Movement Intelligence umbrella, she addressed the growing need for effective solutions to osteoporosis and posture challenges.
Despite 30 years as a master Feldenkrais® Trainer, Ruthy sought further improvements in her own posture and strength.
When asked about addressing osteoporosis through the Feldenkrais Method®, she realized more could be done.
She was inspired by the graceful gait and posture of African women carrying heavy loads on their heads and concerned about the global rise in hip fractures.
At Future Life Now, we’ve been offering Bones for Life training for over 20 years. Our exercise classes for osteoporosis have helped thousands improve their posture and bone health. We proudly train the most Bones for Life teachers in North America and possibly the world.
Whether you’re seeking to enhance your own bone health or become a Bones for Life teacher to help others, we invite you to join our transformative journey.
Ruthy Alon began creating her flagship program in her 60s. As one of Moshe Feldenkrais’ original 13 students in his first professional training program, she deeply admired his work and intellect. She sought to preserve the core principles of his method while developing an approach that was more upright in gravity, designed to directly improve balance, posture, and walking.
Movement Intelligence:
Posture, Locomotion, and Personal Ergonomics
Under the umbrella of Movement Intelligence, Ruthy Alon, a senior Feldenkrais trainer for over fifty years, created a body of work based on the principles of Moshe Feldenkrais that more directly addresses power against gravity. In all of these programs, learning to find the sweet spot in everyday functions and in strenuous physical activity is central.
Movement Intelligence programs include:
- Bones for Life
- Chairs
- Walk for Life
- Mindful Eating
- Self-Care Strategies for Optimal Mobility
Inspired by Load-Bearing African Women
Lessons for Osteoporosis Workshops
For nearly 30 years, researchers have studied African women who carry heavy loads on their heads—sometimes up to 50% of their body weight. Remarkably, these women maintain or even improve their energetic efficiency while doing so. In studies, they often outperform younger male soldiers from the U.S. Army in endurance and posture. Their secret lies in superb alignment and an effortless yet powerful gait.
Ruthy Alon, the creator of Bones for Life, was deeply inspired by these women’s natural ability to bear loads with ease. She analyzed their posture and the way they moved, discovering key principles that promote bone strength and joint health. This analysis became a cornerstone in the foundational movement processes of the Bones for Life programs.
By incorporating these natural movement patterns into our Bones for Life training, we help participants improve their posture, balance, and overall bone health. Just as these African women demonstrate, proper alignment and efficient movement are crucial for strengthening bones and preventing osteoporosis-related injuries.
Bones You Can Count On for Life
It may sound obvious, but bones exist as a necessary response to gravity. As bones stack, animals and humans are able to move upward against gravity. Humans face the extra challenge of balancing on two feet, making posture especially important.
Bones for Life is a unique approach to balance, posture, and bone stacking. The better your bones stack, the healthier your bones and joints will be. You’ll also experience less chronic muscle tension and generally feel more energetic.
Words You Won’t Hear in a Bones for Life Class
“Stand up straight.”
“Pull your shoulders back.”
“Suck in your gut.”
“Turn your tail under.”
What you will receive instead are quality, functional movements that help you achieve dynamic postural health. This means you can find your balance moment-to-moment without constantly “practicing” good posture or quality walking.
Posture and walking that build health naturally arise from the brain and bone-stimulating exercises.
Is This Exercise or Something More?
While traditional exercise often emphasizes repetitive motions and muscle strengthening, Bones for Life takes a different approach. Our movements are called “processes” instead of exercises, highlighting the journey of learning and self-discovery involved. Rather than simply instructing you on how to stand or walk, we guide you to explore and understand your body’s natural movement patterns.
In our Bones for Life training, you will learn to:
- Become Aware: Cultivate mindfulness of your body’s sensations and movements, enhancing your overall body awareness.
- Participate Safely: Engage in gentle, safe practices suitable for all ages and fitness levels, which are crucial for those concerned about osteoporosis.
- Listen to Your Sensations: Develop an internal dialogue with your body to understand its needs, limits, and potentials.
- Discover Multiple Movement Options: Realize that there are many ways to perform a movement and that small shifts can lead to significant improvements.
With over 90 unique processes, Bones for Life systematically addresses flexibility and stability in the:
- Spine
- Hip Joints
- Knees
- Ankles
- Feet
- Shoulders
- Neck
This comprehensive coverage makes our program ideal for individuals seeking exercise classes for osteoporosis, as it promotes bone health through natural, weight-bearing movements.
Our online Bones for Life classes focus on helping you regain your capacity to move efficiently against gravity. By participating in our posture classes and osteoporosis workshops, you can expect improvements in:
- Joint Alignment: Achieve better alignment to reduce stress and wear on your joints.
- Balance: Enhance your stability and reduce the risk of falls, a critical concern for those with osteoporosis.
- Posture: Develop an upright, effortless posture that supports bone health and overall well-being.
- Energy Levels: Experience increased vitality as movements become more efficient and less taxing.
- Comfort: Alleviate discomfort and pain by learning to move in harmony with your body’s design.
Our program integrates principles from the Feldenkrais Method, providing a unique blend of somatic education and practical movement strategies. This holistic approach not only improves physical functions but also fosters a deeper connection between mind and body.
Whether you’re managing osteoporosis, aiming to enhance your posture, or simply seeking a more mindful way to move, Bones for Life offers a robust and effective solution. Join us to embark on a transformative journey toward stronger bones, better balance, and a more vibrant life.
Bones for Life is suitable for adults of all ages. Here’s a short video of Cynthia Allen teaching a group of seniors at the City of Cincinnati’s Dunham Recreation Center. It might inspire you to try the work—regardless of your age.
It may even inspire you to become a Bones for Life Teacher.
Somatic Education includes many awareness-based movement modalities, helping people learn from the inside out. Bones for Life is one such Somatic Education approach.
From how to get up and down from the floor to taping the heels, the program addresses knee, ankle, foot, hip, lower back, thoracic spine, neck, and shoulder issues, while providing healthy stimulation to the bones.
Research Study:
Alternative Movement Program in Geriatric Rehabilitation—Bones for Life®
A pilot study conducted by Carol Montgomery, Cynthia Allen, and Drs. Shereen and Mark Farber was published in Functional Neurology, Rehabilitation, and Ergonomics (Vol. 7, No. 2). This research aimed to assess the physical and psychological benefits of the Bones for Life® program, a relatively new approach in somatic education.
Abstract
There is limited quantitative research in the field of somatic education. This pilot study aimed to assess the physical and psychological benefits, if any, of a relatively new somatic education program called Bones for Life®.
Methods
Twenty-five participants, with a mean age of 73, attended a 90-minute Bones for Life class once a week for six weeks. Participants completed a general health questionnaire and the SF-36v2® Health Survey before performance measure testing.
Physical performance was assessed using the following tests:
- Timed Up and Go
- Turning 360°
- Alternating feet on a step while standing unsupported (20-Second Step Test)
- Standing on one leg
Results
Two movement tasks used to assess dynamic balance, the 360° Turn Test (p=0.006) and the 20-Second Step Test (p=0.001), demonstrated the most sensitivity to change.
Changes in Quality-of-life measures were found to be statistically significant using the SF-36v2® Health Survey in:
- Vitality (p=0.026)
- General Health (p=0.029)
Post-intervention interviews revealed improved physical function, posture, and balance.
Conclusion
This pilot study exhibited positive effects among community-dwelling seniors with diverse physical capabilities and medical challenges. Participants improved function and balance with minimal expense after six weeks of Bones for Life classes.
Evidence suggests that Bones for Life increases the stability of an organized single-leg stance during movement and successfully carries over into more challenging tasks requiring a smaller support base, such as walking, turning, reaching, and climbing.
Participation in Bones for Life classes positively influences quality of life indicators like peace, happiness, calmness, and increased energy.
The outcomes suggest that the Bones for Life program may be a safe, feasible, and effective way for seniors to improve their function. This pilot study calls for funding and a footprint for further investigation. It also highlights the need to research alternative approaches to movement and activities used to improve function and balance that meet the demands of the aging population and complement the current medical model.
Can Exercise Reverse Osteoporosis?
While current research hasn’t definitively shown that exercise can reverse osteoporosis, incorporating weight-bearing movements like those in Bones for Life can improve bone density and overall bone health. Yet, we know a couple of important keys:
- Weight-bearing exercise is vital for health overall, and it does build bone health in adolescents and younger adults.
- Weight-bearing exercise must begin with the ability to carry the weight of your own head on your spine. If you can’t do that, putting on weight vests or any weight lifting program will put you at further risk instead of pointing towards health.
The weight required to make a positive difference in osteoporosis is higher weight challenges, which are difficult to introduce safely to those with fragile bones.
Most hip fractures are caused by falls. We must improve balance as people age, whether they have osteoporosis or not.
Can Bones for Life Help with Osteoporpsis?
The disease of osteoporosis is a complex one. The best options are around prevention. From adolescence through age 30, humans are laying down their peak bone mass. We know this is done through a healthy relationship with gravity and a decent diet. Walking, jumping, and running build bone quickly during this time.
Evolutionarily, we are wired to lose bone mass from around age 50 or 60 through the rest of our lives. This includes both women and men. Thus, having a good peak bone mass is super important.
What interferes with getting peak bone mass?
- Lack of activity
- Poor posture
- Poor nutrition
- Certain medications
- Eating disorders
- Digestive problems
- Specific diseases
Can Bones for Life Help with Arthritis?
There are over 100 forms of arthritis. Most commonly, we hear of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
Inflammation is a big part of both forms of arthritis.
The inflammation cycle can be interrupted through quality movement and quality eating. Bones for Life provides the quality movement.
Through Bones for Life, you can reduce the wear and tear on inflamed joints by learning to use more of yourself in problem movements. Once we stop overusing a knee or a hip, much of the pain, inflammation, and lack of mobility begins to melt away.
Why Choose Bones for Life Over Other Exercise Classes for Osteoporosis or Arthritis?
Great question! Bones for Life is accessible anywhere, requiring no special equipment or extensive space. Unlike other exercise classes for osteoporosis, it focuses on changing underlying movement habits, leading to lasting improvements in posture and balance. When you stand and walk better, you also reduce your fall risk. And this is key. The single most important thing we know for sure to do for osteoporosis-related injuries is to reduce fall risk.
Bones for Life processes are taught slowly and methodically, making them very accessible to a wide range of people. You won’t find a teacher going into extreme postures. We are looking to create change while being comfortable.
Whatever the age, whatever the health issues, it is never too late to start investing in being upright and healthy by:
- Improving where your head sits on your spine as well as where the weight of your body sits on your feet. This is vital to stimulating optimal bone and joint health.
- Decreasing fall risk by training dynamic posture and your capacity to regain your balance when it is disturbed.
- Making standing, walking, or running easier. As it gets easier, you are more likely to do more of these essential weight-bearing functions.
Meet Our Team of Teachers and Trainers
Bones for Life® Trainer, Senior Trainer in Movement Intelligence
Cynthia Allen
Cynthia is one of the most experienced Bones for Life trainers in North America. She trained directly with and was certified by Ruthy Alon, the creator of Movement Intelligence and Bones for Life.
She has been working in holistic practices, health care management, and organizational consulting for over 35 years. She is a Certified Feldenkrais® Practitioner, Senior Trainer in Movement Intelligence, and Certified Bones for Life® Teacher/Trainer. Cynthia is also co-creator of Integral Human Gait Theory.
Cynthia trains and certifies Movement Intelligence teachers around the world and teaches Integral Human Gait Theory workshops, as well as other continuing education opportunities. She has a keen interest in reducing chronic pain and increasing pleasure through awareness and movement.
Bones for Life® Trainer
Brian Shircliff
Brian pioneered teaching a meditation elective and bringing meditation to the two sports he coached while a teacher at St. Xavier High School (1997-2003). With many friends, Brian founded VITALITY Cincinnati in 2010 to share holistic self-care education.
In addition to being a Bones for Life® Teacher, he has been a tai chi practitioner/teacher since 1997, a yoga teacher (registered through Yoga Alliance as an E-RYT500), Healing Touch Certified Practitioner, and more recently, he completed his training to become a Certified Feldenkrais® Practitioner and became an NLP Practitioner.
He is a lifelong learner.
Bones for Life® Trainer
Andrea Tutt
Andrea is a graduate of one of Canada’s leading Theatre Conservatories and has taught acting, dance, and movement studies in many established training facilities, including:
- Ontario Ballet School in Toronto, Canada
- Toi Whakaari – New Zealand’s National Drama School
- New Zealand School of Dance
- University of Minnesota’s BFA/Guthrie Theatre Acting Program
Currently residing in Cincinnati, Andrea serves on faculty in the theatre/music theatre/dance departments at Xavier, NKU, Miami, and CCM at UC.
Andrea regularly teaches on wellness retreats and has been honored to frequently join the faculty of “Sempre Sano, Forever Healthy” in collaboration with the Center for Integrative Health and Wellness at UC in Cincinnati and Spring Island, South Carolina (2018–2022), as well as Tuscany, Italy in 2019.
Along with running her own business, Attune Movement, Andrea is an advanced certified Yoga and Pilates teacher, and Bones for Life Trainer, and the proud mom of two incredible kids. Andrea completed her Masters in Fine Arts in Interdisciplinary Arts at Goddard College, Vermont in January 2020.
Bones for Life® Teacher
Christine Cutbush
Christine’s movement therapy training spans 30 years of collective education. Her journey began in 1994, studying multiple Yoga styles, teaching private clients and at various studios. In 1996, Christine added Reflexology to her portfolio.
In 2003, Christine became a certified Feldenkrais Practitioner and established her own private practice, teaching group classes and workshops in Los Angeles and Mexico. Deepening her knowledge in 2008, she completed the Bones for Life and Walk for Life Teacher trainings. Christine had the fortunate opportunity to study directly with Ruthy Alon.
Christine returned home to New Zealand in 2012, creating a private practice that incorporates Feldenkrais, Bones for Life, and Reflexology. This combination of knowledge and skills is improving people’s quality of life.
More About Bones for Life creator, Ruthy Alon
Ruthy Alon was a pioneering movement educator and innovator whose work significantly advanced the field of somatic education. Her journey began with a deep curiosity about the human body’s potential for self-healing and natural movement. This passion led her to explore various disciplines that connected physical movement with overall well-being, laying the foundation for her lifelong dedication to helping others achieve greater health through body awareness.
Before developing the Bones for Life program, Ruthy traveled extensively, conducting workshops and seminars worldwide. Her teaching style was characterized by a unique blend of compassion, intuition, and a profound clarity in biomechanics. She authored the book Mindful Spontaneity and created instructional videos that made her insights accessible to a wider audience. Her ability to distill complex concepts into practical exercises empowered individuals to take charge of their own health and mobility.
Ruthy Alon’s innovative approach has had a lasting impact on practitioners and students globally. Her methods have been integrated into various fields, including physical therapy, rehabilitation, and wellness coaching. By emphasizing the importance of natural, mindful movement, she inspired a holistic view of health that continues to influence contemporary practices. Ruthy’s legacy endures through the countless lives she touched and the global community of educators who carry forward her teachings in movement intelligence.
