When we think of the benefits of yoga, we tend to think about increased flexibility and muscle tone. While those are indeed benefits of doing yoga, there is one more area you should know about. A daily routine that includes yoga for skeletal health is becoming a common prescription by yogis and physicians alike.
When we do yoga using correct form and positioning, the poses actually do promote improved posture. People with back and neck issues often think exercise is off limits; on the contrary! Yoga poses are meant to stretch and strengthen the muscles that surround the spine, therefore over time actually straightening crooked or slumped posture. Yoga poses involving stretching of the back (which includes most of them) can literally add to the space between the vertebrae, not only straightening your posture, but adding to your height as well. It is not uncommon to hear a yoga student claim to have grown an inch (or more) taller since they have started practicing yoga on a regular basis.
The same can be said for people with bulging or herniated discs in their neck and/or spine. The back stretching poses, as they create space between the vertebrae can also reduce pressure on the herniated discs. Another way yoga is good for our skeletal health is that with gentle stretching and strengthening exercises, trigger point and sciatica pain is also reduced or even eliminated. The condition called adhesive capsulitis, also known as "frozen shoulder" is a gradual stiffening of the shoulders caused by tightness around the joint capsule. Frozen shoulder immobilizes the shoulder(s), making everyday tasks such as getting dressed very painful. Any activity where the patient has to lift their arms for any reason causes intense pain which leads to a decrease in overall activities including exercise. Yoga, however, has changed all that. The gentle stretching in yoga frees up the "frozen" joint capsule, therefore curing the condition altogether.
Exercises such as aerobics or running are considered high-impact and therefore can do more harm to our skeletal systems, especially the joints. This high-impact activity usually starts to affect us when we start getting older. Studies have proven that yoga poses stimulate the release of naturally occurring lubricating fluids which reduce the effects of the damage that causes osteoarthritis.
Adding yoga to your daily routine has many health benefits, including muscle tone, bone and joint health and stress management. Managing stress is also good for our bones; during times of stress our bodies release unhealthy amounts of adrenaline, which depletes our systems of calcium meant for our bone strength. Yoga also greatly improves our balance, making us less likely to lose our balance and fall, which can result in broken or fractured hips or other bones. If we have led a very stressful life, our bones will be brittle with osteoporosis, making a fall that much more dangerous. So make a little time in your day and add some yoga to your daily routine. There is no age limit; yoga benefits everyone young and old, and it is never too late to start!
When we do yoga using correct form and positioning, the poses actually do promote improved posture. People with back and neck issues often think exercise is off limits; on the contrary! Yoga poses are meant to stretch and strengthen the muscles that surround the spine, therefore over time actually straightening crooked or slumped posture. Yoga poses involving stretching of the back (which includes most of them) can literally add to the space between the vertebrae, not only straightening your posture, but adding to your height as well. It is not uncommon to hear a yoga student claim to have grown an inch (or more) taller since they have started practicing yoga on a regular basis.
The same can be said for people with bulging or herniated discs in their neck and/or spine. The back stretching poses, as they create space between the vertebrae can also reduce pressure on the herniated discs. Another way yoga is good for our skeletal health is that with gentle stretching and strengthening exercises, trigger point and sciatica pain is also reduced or even eliminated. The condition called adhesive capsulitis, also known as "frozen shoulder" is a gradual stiffening of the shoulders caused by tightness around the joint capsule. Frozen shoulder immobilizes the shoulder(s), making everyday tasks such as getting dressed very painful. Any activity where the patient has to lift their arms for any reason causes intense pain which leads to a decrease in overall activities including exercise. Yoga, however, has changed all that. The gentle stretching in yoga frees up the "frozen" joint capsule, therefore curing the condition altogether.
Exercises such as aerobics or running are considered high-impact and therefore can do more harm to our skeletal systems, especially the joints. This high-impact activity usually starts to affect us when we start getting older. Studies have proven that yoga poses stimulate the release of naturally occurring lubricating fluids which reduce the effects of the damage that causes osteoarthritis.
Adding yoga to your daily routine has many health benefits, including muscle tone, bone and joint health and stress management. Managing stress is also good for our bones; during times of stress our bodies release unhealthy amounts of adrenaline, which depletes our systems of calcium meant for our bone strength. Yoga also greatly improves our balance, making us less likely to lose our balance and fall, which can result in broken or fractured hips or other bones. If we have led a very stressful life, our bones will be brittle with osteoporosis, making a fall that much more dangerous. So make a little time in your day and add some yoga to your daily routine. There is no age limit; yoga benefits everyone young and old, and it is never too late to start!
Faye Martins, is a Yoga teacher and a graduate of the Yoga teacher training program at: Aura Wellness Center in, Attleboro, MA.
1 comment:
Yoga is very good for your skeletal health with gentle stretching and strengthening exercises, also helps to reduce sciatica pain. Thanks for posting this good article.
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