New Classes Begin Saturday, August 1st! 
9:00am Osteo-Mat
10:00am Pilates Basic Mat
All classes $15.00
Classes will be in the Voorheesville studio.

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class cancellation 
Monday July 27 2009 8:10 am mat class at Plaza Fitness is canceled.

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Walkvest 
This looks good to me as another way to increase bone density! Check out www.walkvest.com to order. Advertised benefits of wearing the vest while walking are accelerated weight loss, increased cardiovascular strength, increase bone density, lower cholesterol and blood pressure, reduce stress and anxiety, increase energy & stamina. I like this vest because the weights are evenly distributed around your core so it is a safe way of adding weight without throwing off your posture, gait and internal plumb line. A vest is much better and safer than holding hand weights or wearing wrist weights. It is also much more reasonably priced than other vests I saw online. Give it a try and let me know what you think!

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Where can I buy MBT shoes? 
I bought my MBT sandals from a shop in Reston, Virginia. The owner, Jean Sook Kim was very helpful and I plan on calling her when I buy my next pair (different style). Her phone is:(703)435-1600, www.jccomfortshoes.com. They also have a terrific selection of other shoes as well!

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medicine shoes for good posture 

Here I am in my new MBT sandals walking all over Washington, DC and Georgetown. Now I really resisted buying these sandals because they are ugly! If you know me and know how much I love shoes than you understand already! They are also expensive BUT…they are absolutely worth it and yes I was wearing them with my LBD! (little black dress) Sara Meeks recommends these shoes for walking, core strengthening, bone health, balance and more and I thoroughly trust her opinion so I bought these “medicine shoes” and decided to give them a try. Instantly I was standing taller, engaging my abdominals for balance and could feel the muscles in my legs firing up. I plan on getting a pair of the walking shoes too and the rocking chair (convex) sole makes standing still my little game. Go figure! Give these a try and let me know what you think…

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Osteo-K 
Osteo-K is a calcium supplement that I first read about in the May 2009 issue of Bottom Line Personal, which I will have posted here for you to read. I like this supplement so much that I am taking it myself and will soon have it available for sale both online and at the studio. Along with eating well this is an essential part of my health care regimen.


More than 10 million Americans
have the bone-weakening
disease osteoporosis
—approximately 15% of women and
4% of men over the age of 50. Another
34 million or so have osteopenia—
bone density that is below
normal and may lead to osteoporosis.
And every year, two million people
with osteoporosis have a so-called

osteoporotic fracture,” usually of
the hip, spine or wrist.

New finding: Experts know that an
osteoporotic hip fracture is disastrous—
12% to 40% of victims die
within six months (partly because
they tend to become depressed and
more sedentary). But when Australian
researchers studied more than
4,000 people age 60 and older for
18 years, they found that almost any
kind of osteoporotic fracture increased
the risk for death. Focusing
on people over age 75, they found
that breaking a wrist increased
mortality risk by 40% in women
and 80% in men…a spinal fracture
doubled mortality risk in both sexes…
and a hip fracture more than
doubled mortality risk in women
and tripled it in men.

Another recent finding: Bone mineral
density (BMD) does not accurately
reflect fracture risk. A dual
energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA)
test measures the BMD in your hip,
spine and wrist. A score of –1 to –2.5
indicates osteopenia…a score under
–2.5 signals osteoporosis. But in one
study, 82% of women who reported
fractures of the wrist, forearm, hip,
rib or spine in the year after a BMD
test did not have scores indicating osteoporosis
(scores of –2.5 or lower).

Overall, BMD predicts only 44%
of fractures in elderly women and
21% of fractures in elderly men.

New thinking: The BMD test indicates
the hardness of bone, imparted
by the minerals calcium and magnesium.
But flexibility is what helps
bones resist fracture—the bone’s
ability to bend a bit and not break.

Flexibility is created by the bone’s
collagen, the protein-rich infrastructure.
To build bone collagen, you
need vitamin K.

THE SECRET BONE-SAVER

Vitamin K (phylloquinone) is a
fat-soluble nutrient (like vitamins
A
and D) found abundantly in leafy
green vegetables. Vitamin K helps
the liver manufacture proteins that
control blood clotting. Vitamin K-2
(menaquinone) is formed in the
body from vitamin K. Vitamin K-2
has many functions, including building
collagen in bone—and preventing
fractures.

New finding: Scientists at Harvard
Medical School analyzed 10 years of
health data on vitamin K intake and
bone health in more than 70,000
women in the Nurses’ Health Study.
Those with the highest intake of
vitamin K had a 30% lower risk for
hip fracture, compared with women
who had the lowest intake. They
also found that women who ate the
most lettuce—the biggest source of
vitamin K in most diets—had a 45%
lower risk for hip fracture than those
who ate the least.

What to do: The government’s recommendation
for daily vitamin K
intake
is 90 micrograms (mcg) to
120 mcg. How do you maximize
your intake? Eat your vegetables!

Top vegetables include kale (1,062
mcg per cup), spinach (889 mcg),
turnip greens (851 mcg), collard
greens (836 mcg), Swiss chard (299
mcg), broccoli (220 mcg), brussels
sprouts (219 mcg), butterhead lettuce
(167 mcg), cabbage (163 mcg)
and asparagus (144 mcg). Among
vegetable oils, soybean oil (3.4 mcg
per tablespoon) and olive oil (8.1
mcg) score highest.

Don’t worry about cooking—it
doesn’t destroy the vitamin.

If you want the greatest peace
of mind about getting sufficient vitamin
K to prevent bone fractures,
you may want to take a daily supplement
of the nutrient.

THE POWER OF MK4

Doctors from England analyzed
the data from 13 studies on osteoporosis
and a form of vitamin K
called MK4. They found vitamin
MK4 decreased hip fractures by
73%, spinal fractures by 60% and
nonspinal fractures by 81%. Compare
those results to the average

John Neustadt, ND ¦ Montana Integrative Medicine

Fracture-Proof
Your Bones

The Most Important Nutrient
Isn’t Calcium

John Neustadt,
ND, a naturopathic physician,
clinical director of Montana Integrative Medicine
and cofounder
of Nutritional Biochemistry, Inc.,
both in Bozeman, Montana. Dr. Neustadt is coauthor
of A Revolution in Health Through Nutritional
Biochemistry and A Revolution in Health
Part 2: How to Take Charge of Your Health (both
from iUniverse). www.montanaim.com.

Copyright © 2009 by Boardroom Inc., 281
Tresser Blvd., Stamford, Connecticut 06901-3229.
www.BottomLineSecrets.com.

www.BottomLineSecrets.com

Sign up for Bottom Line’s FREE e-letters at www.BottomLineSecrets.com/eletters

Reprinted with the permission of Bottom Line/Personal



19% decrease in fracture risk from
taking supplements of calcium and
vitamin
D (which aids in the absorption
of calcium).


To help my patients, I developed
a supplement that contains the same
amount and type of the nutrient (45
mg of MK4) used in the clinical trials.
The supplement, called Osteo-
K, also contains calcium, vitamin D,
magnesium and boron (available at
www.nbihealth.com).

If you’re taking corticosteroids:
Medications called corticosteroids
(cortisone, prednisone, hydrocortisone)
are powerful anti-inflammatory
agents. They are synthetic versions of
cortisol, an adrenal hormone. They
often are prescribed to help control
the symptoms of chronic diseases
with an inflammatory component,
such as rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory
bowel disease, lupus and severe
asthma. Taken regularly for six
months or more, corticosteroids can
cause osteoporosis. Additionally, taking
these medicines for more than six
months increases the risk for vertebral
fracture by up to 200%. Clinical
trials have shown that taking 45 mg
daily of MK4 decreases bone loss and
fractures caused by corticosteroids.

Caution: If you are taking the
anticoagulant
warfarin (Coumadin),
talk to your doctor before taking
any type of supplemental vitamin
K, which can block the action of
the drug.

DO DRUGS WORK?

You might think that a vitamin K
supplement
would be a lightweight
compared to the widely prescribed
bisphosphonate drugs, such as
alendronate (Fosamax), risedronate
(Actonel), raloxifene (Evista) and
zoledronic acid (Zometa).

But drugs are less effective at decreasing
fracture risk than vitamin K.

Example: Fosamax decreases vertebral
fracture risk by 47%, compared
with a reduction of up to 60%
for vitamin K.

And the latest research shows
that these bone-building drugs can
hurt your health…

¦ Esophageal cancer. In December
2008, the FDA said Fosamax and other
bisphosphonates might increase the
risk for esophageal cancer—and that
no one with Barrett’s esophagus (an
esophageal problem common among
people with heartburn) should take
these drugs.

¦ Heart problems. People taking
bisphosphonates are twice as likely
to experience life-threatening heart
irregularities
called arrhythmias.

¦ Increased fracture risk. New evidence
shows that people who take
bisphosphonates for several years may
have an increased risk for sudden
fractures during normal activity, such
as standing or walking. Bisphosphonates
improve bone quantity, not bone
quality—and may affect bone growth
in such a way as to eventually create
weaker bones.

¦ Osteonecrosis of the jaw. In this
disease—also called “dead jaw”—sections
of the tissue of the jawbone die
after a major dental procedure, such as
a tooth implant or extraction. People
taking a bisphosphonate have a 4%
risk for this side effect after a dental
procedure—and top dental experts
are warning that anyone about to have
such a procedure should stop taking
the drug at least one month before
the procedure.

Bottom line: Talk to your doctor
about whether a bisphosphonate is
right for you. You could take another
type of bone-building medication,
such as parathyroid hormone, which
decreases fracture risk by 65%. Or
you could add vitamin K to your
regimen.






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osteoporosis & bone related illnesses 
This week I had the privilege of serving on the American Institute of Biological Sciences Peer Review of Proposals submitted to the U.S. Army Medical Research and Material Command in Reston, Virginia. I was a consumer reviewer on the osteoporosis and bone related illnesses panel. This gave me the opportunity to speak not just on my own behalf, but for all of my clients and for all Americans who suffer from a bone related disease. It was an honor and a tremendous experience for me to be part of something bigger than myself. I had the chance to discuss grant proposals with scientists and doctors who might not have otherwise considered how the work being reviewed for funding will truly effect the emotional well being and overall health of the patients they are trying to help. Although the work I reviewed is confidential, I can tell you that it was very re-assuring to know how thoroughly the government studies and works with scientists in order to find cures for disease. This work will not only benefit the brave members of our military and veterans, but also their families and the general population. It is all very cutting edge!

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wednesday 
As my 11 year old son flushes his week old guppy, “Peanut Butter” down the toilet and gives a brief but heartfelt eulogy I give thanks that Pilates is a big part of my life. The mind, body, spirit connection is helping with my coping skills this evening as it does regularly! I take a deep breath, exhale even deeper, sit up a bit straighter and smile.
I have a unique and wonderful opportunity as an instructor to see the future possibilities that are achievable when we practice Pilates, Qigong, Yoga, and other exercises or even just go out for a daily walk! Combined with a healthy diet and lifestyle, everyday can be joyous and aging can be embraced. What we eat is a big part of feeling good each day.
This week we had our most recent National Osteoporosis Foundation support group meeting and were fortunate to have nutrition counselor Brianna Harrington as our guest speaker. She had a lot of wonderful information on what to eat for healthy bones. I was thrilled to learn that dark chocolate (think magnesium) is medicinal and I can let go of the guilt! I am also adding kale to my smoothies since it’s a huge source of calcium and vitamin K and really helps build strong bones. They are very green and give a real energy boost! Look for more from Brianna on our website soon.
The Skele-Toner modified Pilates mat classes for bone strength and good posture are getting very popular. I am so happy about this. We are all standing up straighter and seeing improvements in flexibility, balance and core strength. Some of us have actually grown an inch and seen dexa-scan results improve from the mat classes alone! So, please come try a class if you haven’t done so already.
I will be continuing my studies with Sara Meeks, PT at her Scranton, PA workshop at the end of the month and look forward to sharing more of the “Meeks Method” with all of you…
Have a wonderful day & Thank You for your support!
Peace,
Penny Shure


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NEW CLASS CHANGES 
No Pilates Friday June 12th, Wednesday June 24th, Thursday June 25th
and the week of July 6-10

New Voorhessville class times beginning Tuesday June 30th:
NEW Voorheesville Mat Class @ 9:30 AM Tuesdays and Thursdays
Voorheesville 4 PM mat classes will resume in the Fall
Voorheesville 5 PM mat class in Voorheesville on-going


Plaza Fitness Monday and Thursday Classes as of June 1 are 12:00 NOON not 11:30
Tuesday 10:00AM Mat Class is cancelled
Monday and Thursday Osteo-Tap Class is changed to 1:00 PM





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Welcome to the Pilates Playground Blog 



Penny has taught dance and aerobics since 1985. She has worked with people of all ages - young children through elderly adults as well as mentally challenged adults. She is careful in her approach and keenly sensitive to her clients' individual needs, whether they have physical limitations or are professional dancers or athletes.

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