Medical Reasons To Practice Yoga
Many of you will have noticed that we now offer Yoga here at Parkdale Osteo (and for those who didn’t yet know, we’re happy to spread the exciting news to you!)
Whilst our practitioners are big fans of anything which encourages healthy behaviours, we have a particularly soft spot for yoga.
Yoga has moved on from the lotus poses and chanting that many of our patients remember from the 80’s and 90’s. The yoga we offer at the clinic incorporates movements and practices which help to support our muscles, skeleton, nervous system and brain.
Yoga has some particular attributes which make it one of our practitioner’s favourite exercise modalities:
MOVEMENT VARIABILITY
Movement variability relates to the way that we use our bodies – do we always do the same movements, in the same direction, or do we mix things up and move in many and varied ways?
The consensus of scientific studies done on the topic is that people with lower movement variability (in their exercise habits or even workplace habits) are at higher risk of injury. Those who had higher movement variability seemed to be less at risk of injury or chronic pain.
We love yoga because it encourages us to move in different directions, at different speeds, using different muscle groups. Our instructors here at Parkdale Osteo don’t repeat the same class twice – so each time you attend they will keep your body guessing. This gets a big tick from our practitioners from a movement variability perspective.
Want to read more on movement variability?
Click here for a more in-depth explanation.
ATTRIBUTES OF SPINAL HEALTH
As Osteopaths, we see a lot of patients presenting with back pain of varying degrees. Back pain is a very common and often fairly innocuous albeit painful complaint.
Our job is to help our patients out of pain, but also to teach them how to use their back appropriately and improve the robustness of their spine so as to allow them to work, exercise and live comfortably.
Yoga targets particular attributes of spinal health such as:
Strength – whilst weakness doesn’t cause pain itself, improving the strength of spinal muscles may assist in preventing undue strain upon spinal structures and allow for ease of movement. Often after an injury, we may become fearful of moving which may lead to deconditioning of certain muscles. Yoga is a great way of reintroducing exercise, improving strength and reducing the fear of using a previously painful area.
Flexibility – When undertaking daily tasks, flexibility is important to allow for easy, comfortable movement. Whilst we don’t all need to be able to put our noses to our knees, an increase in spinal flexibility in the forwards bend position (touching toes) and allowing for a comfortable curving forward of the spine has recently been shown to decrease the likelihood of injury in manual lifting. Flexibility isn’t just about stretching or elongating muscles – it’s about the willingness of your body to move into certain positions. Yoga can assist with helping your body feel comfortable, safe and therefore allow better quality and range of movement.
Coordination – Our brain is the driver of the vehicle that is our body. We have lots of moving parts which need to be able to do very specific tasks at any given time. Coordination helps us to accurately move through the world with the least effort, without bumping into things or falling over. Our coordination centres in our brain can become a bit lazy as we age because we stop challenging them as much (when was the last time you climbed a tree or did a line dance?). Luckily, a lot of the time our coordination can improve dramatically with a bit of practice. Yoga includes complex movements involving all four limbs, which is perfect for improving coordination and challenging both our bodies and brains!
Balance – Like coordination, our balance tends to decrease as time goes on due to us practicing less. We often sit at work or at home and perhaps walk less often than we should. A good sense of balance is important as it helps with falls and injury prevention. Yoga includes lots of poses which use our body in positions requiring good balance, which improves the more you practice.
MINDFULNESS
One of the exciting discoveries of the last 20 years or so is that pain is a sensation caused by a complex interaction of our body and brain. We used to think that brains were static and unable to change, but we now understand that brains are amazingly plastic and able to adapt to new input and stimuli.
We can use this information to change the way we feel and cope with pain, stress and tight muscles. One way of doing this is by practicing mindfulness – the act of being aware of your body and its current state of being, and quietening your mind to external stimuli. This is now a recognised and recommended medical intervention for pain, stress and anxiety.
When you’re on the mat in a yoga class it’s just you and your body – the perfect environment to hone your mindfulness skills!
ENDORPHINS
Exercise, in nearly all forms, helps your brain produce naturally occurring “happy hormones” called endorphins. Endorphins can create an effect known medically as exercise induced hypoalgesia, which translates into exercise induced pain reduction.
Your brain has an incredible “internal drug cabinet” which exercise stimulates, so your yoga practice is likely to leave you with an increased sense of wellbeing as well as decreased pain.
So what are you waiting for? Come and experience all of these pretty amazing benefits for yourselves – book a yoga class today!