Why joint care in yoga is very important 

by Tirtha Acharya | Nov 3, 2020 | yoga injury

Why joint care in yoga is very important 

Yoga is a wonderful hobby that you can use to attain inner peace. What many people fail to comprehend is that it is crucial to practice it systematically. By that, we mean that it is mandatory to go through the routine while giving due care to the body. In this blog, we shall take a look into joint care in yoga and all precaution need to do in yoga asana.

A joint is an area where two bones are linked to allow body parts to move freely. A joint is normally composed of fibrous connective tissue and cartilage. A joint aid the respective body part to perform movements like swinging, gliding, rolling, and spinning. The human body has three major types of joints which are:

Synarthroses (immovable)

These joints are fixed and in it, the bones are fused and prohibit movement. For example, the bones of the human skull.

Amphiarthroses (slightly movable)

These joints are often called cartilaginous joints and these joints are held tightly too but promote limited movement. The vertebrate of the human spine is a great example.

Diarthroses (freely movable)

Contrary to the other joints, the freely movable joints (synovial joints) allow the joint parts to move smoothly. These are the most ubiquitous joints in the human body.

Now that we have understood the different types of joints in the human body, let’s link it with yoga. In yoga, we mostly deal with the freely movable joints, and on some occasions, the slightly movable joints too. You must maintain joint care in yoga as it will make the yoga process easier and promote joint safety.

1. Hip joint care in yoga 

The hip joint is prone to immense wear and tear normally on the cartilaginous parts. While practicing yoga, we tend to place our hips under stress and likewise, we don’t give it time to recover too. The poses like deep lunges, standing forward folds, tend to put unwanted pressure on the joints. It may feel good now but can later transform into chronic pain. When we go deep into the poses, our body may not have the mobility to deal with it.

So, to promote joint care in yoga and any hip joint-related problems, you can practice mobility. Once you achieve a certain degree of mobility, then you can go into deeper poses. It will keep you resilient and maintain the longevity of your joints.

2. Knee joint care in yoga 

The knee joint comprises of bones, ligaments, and cartilages. Despite its grand design, it is subject to numerous wear and tear. When you practice yoga without following the necessary protocol, then this problem tends to multiply. Numerous yoga poses like cat-cow pose, backstretch pose, uses the knee as the foundation. The base must be strong for the yoga pose to be effective.

You can protect your knee in yoga by using cushions or a softer surface while doing such poses. Maintain equilibrium while performing poses where the use of knee is compulsory. Do not overexert yourself and do choose the program that best caters to your need. If you follow these steps, then you’ll have mastered the steps of joint care in yoga.

3. Shoulder joints

The shoulder joints are the most mobile joints in the human body. They enable us to perform daily activities and perform yoga smoothly and efficiently. There are numerous poses in yoga that demand the proper alignment of shoulders and legs. Some of these poses are the building blocks of yoga. So, yeah, shoulders are pretty important.

The shoulder joints tend to tire out quickly and if it does not get the required rest, then it causes problems. While practicing poses like a downward-facing dog and upward facing dog, you need to carefully align the shoulders. The shoulder joint care in yoga is relatively simple. You just have to warm up the shoulders before exercise and simultaneously learn to maintain equilibrium in poses.

4. Wrist joints

The wrist joints form an integral aspect of yoga and daily life. In poses like plank, we place huge stress on the wrist. If the wrist does not get the necessary support and care, then it might lead to fatal injuries. To prevent that from happening, you can practice drills that increase wrist mobility. Furthermore, you can do forearm exercises too. When you do these steps, then you can make your wrists bulletproof.

5. Ankle joints

The ankle joint enables you to walk on the ground. The ankle consists of more than two dozen bones and they help to navigate on the terrain. The ankle joint observes the pressure that hits your feet while walking on the ground. Thus, it is important to maintain ankle joint care in yoga. You can do so by doing warmup exercises before practicing yoga and following the guidance of your teacher.

6. Neck joints

Neck joints are crucial not only in yoga but in your daily life too. When you progress to complex moves, neck joints can be prone to damage. Here are some guidelines that you can use to promote joint care. Maintain proper alignment during asanas and make sure that you avoid extreme movements. While doing handstands, avoid putting pressure on your neck. While doing it, keep a soft cushion under the neck.

We hope that after reading this blog, you will emphasize joint protection in your yoga journey.

How to prevent muscle tears in yoga workout 

by Tirtha Acharya | Oct 31, 2020 | yoga injury

How to prevent muscle tears in yoga workout

In our blogs, we have explored the innumerable benefits that yoga provides. We have gone on to say that yoga is not only a great mental exercise but a significant physical endeavor too. As with any exercise, there are certain points that you need to consider while practicing yoga. For starters, you might suffer from muscle tears in yoga workout if you don’t do it properly. We don’t mean to frighten you but rather give you an idea about what you are getting into.

Through this blog, we shall shed some insight into the common yoga injuries and how you can prevent them. Once you familiarize yourself with this concept, you can practice yoga more healthily and efficiently.

Let’s learn a bit about the different types of muscles that are in our body first and then we shall look at the injuries.

TYPES OF MUSCLES

1. Skeletal muscles 

The skeletal muscles comprise the joints, tendons, ligaments, nerves, and cartilages. The objective of these muscles is to act as a frame that supports the body. Also, it controls the posture from the head to toes. Through a well-designed yogic course, one can boost the performance of the skeletal muscles.

2. Smooth muscles

The smooth muscles are involuntary. Many people think that they don’t need consideration for muscle tears in yoga workout but the reality is far from that. The smooth muscles are found in the walls of organs like the intestines, stomach, uterus, and the urinary bladder. By practicing yoga, one can learn to relax these muscles.

3. Cardiac muscles

The cardiac muscle finds itself in the human heart. We have been pressing the relationship between the heart and yoga for a long time. There is even a separate program called ‘cardiac yoga’ that caters to the needs of a heart patient. This yoga deals with accentuating the heart functions and promoting a healthy lifestyle.

Now, that we have understood the different muscle groups, let’s take a look at the different muscle tears in yoga workout.

TYPES OF INJURY

1. Wrist

The wrist is a minute joint and is under immense stress in daily life. Now, add the burden of yoga poses like side plank and downward-facing dog. Too much pressure on the wrist can cause severe damage and even disrupt your yoga schedule. Here’s how you can prevent such muscle tears from happening.

• Turn the fingers inward
• Avoid cupping the palms
• Maintain the distance between shoulders and wrists
• Build a solid foundation with the knees

2. Lower Back

The funny thing about lower back pain is that most people take yoga to get relief from it but when done incorrectly, it causes more problems. Rounding the spine too much and over-stretching are the common problems in yoga. If continued for excessive periods, it can lead to muscle tears in yoga workout. Here’s how you can deal with that.

• Activate your core during the stretches
• Breathe slowly and gently
• Bend your knees and allow the lower back to decompress

3. Shoulders 

In yoga, you have to raise your arms for prolonged periods. Also, you might have heard the teacher saying ‘Relax your shoulders’. This statement has its importance as if you keep the shoulders tight, then the shoulder compresses and consequently, causes injuries. There is nothing more nagging than a shoulder injury that just won’t go away. You can prevent this problem by

• Warming the shoulders before exercise
• Not pulling too hard in stretches
• Following the guidance of the teacher

4. Hamstrings

In this age where we spend most of our time sitting on a desk, our hamstrings tend to get tight. And as most yoga exercises involve activating the hamstring, if not done properly, it leads to muscle tears in yoga workout. Suffering from a hamstring injury is cumbersome as it prohibits you from walking too. Here’s how you can prevent it from happening,

• Warm-up your hamstring before exercise
• Stretch your hamstrings daily if they are tight
• Do light workouts that activate hamstrings

You can read the article related to how yoga help in case of shoulder pain.

5. Neck

Once you progress through yoga, you will do serious exercises like headstands and shoulder stands. These exercises are not only difficult but they place immense stress on your neck. If done incorrectly, it leads to neck issues. Here’s how you can prevent such problems from happening.

• Stretch your neck before starting the exercise
• Avoid such poses if you suffer from neck issues
• Give your neck time to relax after performing such exercises

These are the common muscle tears in yoga workout that occur if you don’t follow the necessary protocol. Have a safe yoga journey!