For all types of physical exercise, including yoga, there is no concept of `one size fits all’. Wrongly stretching your body or doing incorrect asanas and breathing in an incorrect manner while exercising can be detrimental to your health. Incorrect postures could lead to acute pain and long-standing chronic problems.
Yoga is a great form of exercise and has benefits like improving flexibility and strength, and reducing stress and anxiety . Research has also found that yoga can help improve metabolism, heart rate and respiration. But if performed wrongly, it can also cause harm. Similarly Over Doing it can also cause harm.
Most yoga injuries develop gradually because of poor yoga forms or overdoing certain asanas. The safest approach to yoga is to learn how to practice poses correctly , stay in tune with your body and avoid overdoing it, if one is unable to perform an asana, one should avoid it.
Weak core could lead to problems
One should remember to engage their core muscles as one gets into any of the yoga poses. Maintaining core throughout the pose is also very important. Core muscles are the deepest muscles in your midsection that prevent your spine from moving in ways that might compromise spine stability. Thus, if your core is not strong enough, yoga can cause back injuries.
Each asana and every individual is unique
Exercising and yoga needs practice
Certain asanas, like forward bending, extremes of back ward bending, turning, twisting of back, should be performed only when an individual is ready for it.
History of back problems?
If one has had a history of any back problems, one should proceed with caution. Make sure your lower back is stabilised well before getting into any poses.
Following all guidelines laid out by the yoga instructor is essential
Both warming up and cooling down is equally important. Whenever one practices any asanas, one will be challenged to do things one might have not done before. Thus, there are always chances of injury. Make sure to follow all guidelines and communicate with the instructor. The instructor will know what might benefit and what might not.
Yoga, when done correctly, can be a great workout. All of us are different and our body reacts differently to different exercises.Thus, it is important that each individual be evaluated on strength of back muscles and flexibility before starting yoga.
QUICK TIPS TO REMEMBER
Always begin warm up and cool down. Engage in spot jogging, walking, running step ups, stretching.
Engage your core during all poses. Ease in and slowly come out of the asanas.
As a pre requisite get your core stronger and work on flexibility Communicate with your instructor Never lock your joints. Focus on stability Incase you get injured, seek professional opinion And above all, listen to your body and be sensitive to it. Build up a relation with your body. When your body says no to a certain pose, don’t do it.