Building strong muscles through yoga is one of the best ways to alleviate the symptoms that are associated with arthritis. Before you undergo a routine of regular yoga, it pays to understand how this practice can bring arthritis relief.
Yoga is an easy alternative to other forms of exercise like swimming, running and biking. It can burn calories, regulate weight and help to ward off heart disease and diabetes.
Yoga works so well because it can help to reduce inflammation, ease joint tenderness and bring down swelling. Yoga also encourages deep breathing, which improves blood flow and reduces pain. Yoga also helps to relax the body and mind, helping you to deal with the pain and manage the symptoms of your arthritis.
WHY YOGA IS SO EFFECTIVE
For many people, the pain of arthritis also causes a great deal of anxiety and stress. This stress increases the pain, leading to a cycle which is difficult to break. Living with a chronic disease is never easy, but yoga can make it more bearable through mind-relaxing exercise and deep breathing. Yoga encourages you to listen to and respect your body and to understand the messages it is sending.
Yoga is literally the most flexible form of exercise there is. If your pain is in your knees, you can focus on your upper body instead. If you have pain some days in one part of the body, and pain in another part on other days, you have the flexibility to switch up your routine depending on what is more comfortable for you at the time.
Yoga can also help to get you back on your feet after long periods of time without exercise. You can ease back in with light stretching and gentle poses.
STARTING YOGA
There are certain types of yoga that are tailored for people who suffer from chronic pain. Gentle forms of yoga like Iyengar, hatha or anusara are recommended for those who are just starting out.
Avoid hot yoga and Bikram as they may be more intense and stressful on the body and worsen the condition. Before you undergo any type of exercise, it pays to consult with your rheumatologist to find out what is appropriate for your body.
You will definitely want to get started on your yoga journey with a trained instructor in an in-person environment if you are looking to fight arthritis. Most experts recommend that you avoid trying to do it yourself or with an at-home video as you’re getting started. A trained instructor can tailor the exercise to your body’s needs and adjust the poses as necessary.
The “no pain, no gain” mantra does not apply here. If you are in the middle of an arthritis flare up, it may be useful to save your workout for another day.
When it comes to finding the best exercise to alleviate the pain of arthritis, yoga tops the list. With its focus on deep breathing, mindfulness and muscle strengthening, yoga is highly recommended for pain relief.