Should I attend a yoga class to improve my flexibility?

I am getting more complaints from patients that are coming in for shoulder pain and back pain after being told by their doctor to start Yoga.

Flexibility is one of the 4 recommended components of a well rounded exercise routine as you age. Although most of us jump right into a yoga class thinking that there are no precautions. My clinic is seeing a lot of injuries from large group yoga classes. Now dont let me scare you, many people that start a yoga routine are not injured. But I often am asked by those that are, “How can I gain the flexibility that I need without the risk of injury”?

Well, that is actually a great question. Our bodies change as we age. Our muscles are not as strong as they were when we were younger. Our joints dont have the synovial fluid that it used to. Causing us to require stretching to maintain proper mobility. Most of us work at professions that require sitting over a long period of time, thus, causing poor posture that increases our risk for injuries. So back to my patients question.

We recommend a stretching class. One that is instructed by a professional that understands each persons deficits and knows when a client is at risk for an injury. We have started Stretching classes at our facility in West Chester Township Ohio to help people improve their flexibility without the risk of injury. Our classes focus on total body stretching working towards yoga poses and getting our clients into a more high level Yoga class. It is important to start in a small group setting to understand how your body should feel with the proper stretching and make sure that you are not putting yourself at risk for an injury.

If you have any questions on how you should stretch and avoid injury, call us today for more information. (513) 874-8800!

Happy Stretching!