Yoga It emphasises bringing the mind, body, and spirit into harmony as well as building a stronger emotional bond between the person and others around them. Yoga has spiritual foundations and its fundamental objective is to enable people to experience genuine happiness, liberation, or enlightenment. However, yoga also aims to enhance emotional balance, mental well-being, and physical health in addition to these primary objectives.
Yoga Over the past few decades, yoga has become more popular in western nations. Yoga postures are now more frequently practised for physical health benefits only, separate from their original spiritual context. Sometimes the other facets of yoga are referenced or overlapped with this physical form of yoga, also known as Hatha Yoga. It’s a common misperception that yoga only aims to make you more flexible. Additionally emphasising postural alignment, strength, stamina, and balance, Hatha Yoga involves breathing exercises as well as other methods like meditation or relaxation.
The health and psychological benefits of exercise are well known.17 However, regular physical activity is especially important for people with arthritis, who frequently have decreased muscle strength, physical energy, and endurance, in part due to their arthritis and the tendency to be sedentary. Exercise may play a key role in promoting joint health because those who do not exercise often suffer from more joint discomfort than those who do.
Being sedentary can start a downward spiral where pain gets worse, which makes people more inactive, which gets worse, which gets worse, and so on. Greater general health is also a result of the psychological advantages of exercise, such as lowered stress levels, less depressive symptoms, higher coping and wellbeing, and improved immunological function.
Yoga has been the subject of studies among people with arthritis.
Early research yielded encouraging findings, including some enhancements in joint health, athletic performance, and mental/emotional wellbeing. The practise of yoga significantly improves quality of life. Yoga may be more enjoyable for those with arthritis than more conventional types of exercise, and exercise satisfaction is a key indicator of commitment. This is particularly significant in light of the fact that, on average, 50% of sedentary people stop exercising within 6 months. Most importantly, research on yoga practices has revealed that serious injuries are uncommon when performed under the supervision of trained instructors and with the avoidance of excessive poses.
How to start your yoga journey?
A certified yoga therapist or teacher is the finest person to introduce you to yoga. A novice, “gentle,” or therapeutic lesson will typically be suitable for group classes. Even certain classes that are expressly designed for arthritis are offered. A trained instructor who can direct you in safe and healthy poses for you and make necessary adjustments, especially for any potential limits you may have, is essential. You should introduce yourself and go through your health and any particular issues before each class, especially one with a new instructor. If you have serious restrictions or would like more individualised instruction, think about working with a yoga therapist one-on-one.
Things you must enquire before starting yoga for treating arthritis:
Does the teacher have any medical training or previous experience working with students who have arthritis?
This situation is great. Some yoga practitioners have backgrounds in physical therapy or nursing as well. Look for a yoga instructor that is knowledgeable with your illness and can help you alter the poses so that they are comfortable for your body. In the absence of this, medical staff frequently supervises or controls lessons that are given through hospitals or other healthcare facilities.
What kind of yoga is taught in the class?
“Hatha Yoga” is the collective name for the union of asanas (postures) and pranayama (breathing techniques). Due to the fact that yoga has been transmitted from many teachers to numerous pupils, numerous schools or styles have developed with various practices. While some of these techniques are reasonably mild and suitable for students with arthritis, others should be avoided in general.
What kind of yoga techniques you’ll be practicing?
Simple standing and seated poses are the types of postures that are typically covered in beginner or gentle yoga programmes. With the aid of this introduction, students can gradually and safely raise their awareness of the body’s position in space. Many individuals worry that they might be asked to try something uncomfortable like standing on their heads or twisting into a pretzel. Although these techniques are a part of yoga, they are only advised for more experienced practitioners and won’t be covered in introductory classes. The fact that yoga is non-competitive is another key component.
Students should respect the body’s limitations and practise within their degree of ability. A good yoga instructor will assist you in determining what is appropriate for you in each pose, and you should never push yourself beyond what is comfortable and sensible. In yoga, the adage “with more suffering, there is no progress” is frequently used. There is always a better alternative if something you are doing in yoga feels inappropriate. Every yoga posture can be changed for your comfort and safety to meet any specialised requirements you may have.
Can yoga help with inflexibility?
Yoga practices can promote flexibility, strength, and balance, making it especially beneficial for people with restricted range of motion or low flexibility, whether due to arthritis or another condition. Modifications are possible even if you are unable to kneel or have trouble rising and falling. Some “chair yoga” lessons are conducted fully while the student is seated. When difficulties happen, it could feel a little demoralising at first, but yoga emphasises getting past such judgments and embracing yourself as you are.
Conclusion:
Yoga can be a fulfilling and fun substitute for conventional workouts like aerobics or swimming, with significant health advantages. Yoga has the potential to significantly improve happiness and wellbeing by lowering stress and frustration brought on by pain and handicap. Drug therapies for OA and RA have significantly advanced in recent years. Despite this, there is no known cure for arthritis, and even the best treatments and medications have their limitations. Additional patient-friendly activities are desperately needed to help patients manage the overall effects of arthritis on their lives, including pain and impairment.
