subject: Preventing Injury When Performing Yoga Moves [print this page] Everyone knows that doing yoga is a great way of improving your overall health. It is a form of exercise that can help with weight loss, the meditation aspects help with stress relief, and the stretching will result in greater flexibility and fewer toxins in the body. But despite all these benefits, there have been instances when yoga moves actually resulted in health problems, specifically neck and back injuries that were quite serious.
Most physicians and health care workers will encourage yoga for their patients, as it is an easy way to maintain health and also improve muscle strength and flexibility, plus reduce stress. However, as with any exercise program, your physician must be consulted and you need to learn the basics from a qualified instructor. Injuries can occur even in this gentle practice, and making sure that you are not stressing your body more than it can handle is very important to remember.
When undertaking yoga moves in a basic beginner's class, it is extremely important to not only consult your physician first, but also to inform your instructor of any physical conditions you have. Whether it is past injuries, a chronic muscle condition, or even issues with your heart and lungs, they need to know before you begin. Some of the positions are difficult, and if you've had a previous injury to one of your limbs, then it may be difficult for you to perform the position. The instructor will not push you to go beyond the limits of your flexibility.
One of the main problems with yoga is performing the exercises incorrectly. Postures that are done improperly will not provide the correct stretch, and instead could be causing too much strain on the body. You likely won't realize that you are doing the poses incorrectly until a lot of time has passed, at which point a lot of the damage that has been done is irreversible. Make sure you have an experienced instructor who can check to ensure you are doing the poses correctly. Even if you generally do your postures at home, it is worth going to a class once a week just to confirm that you are doing the exercises properly and they won't lead to injuries down the road.
Basically, yoga moves are like any other form of physical activity. If done properly, then they can be of service to the body, yet if done improperly, they will likely end up hurting the body, in some cases permanently. Beginners should definitely work with a qualified instructor to make sure that they don't develop any bad habits early on. While the information presented here can be a bit sobering, it is of course still important to remember that the benefits of doing yoga still outweigh any of the risks.
by: Kim Archer
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