As yoga continues to grow in popularity across the nation, many misconceptions and questions around the centuries-old discipline remain.
A tremendous way to increase strength and flexibility, the physical practice of yoga has also been shown to offer a myriad of improvements related to overall health and wellness.
“Yoga really addresses the different layers of our existence from the physical body to the subtle, energetic body,” said Jeff Martini, PT, DPT, OCS, RYT, physical therapist and certified yoga teacher at Endeavor Health Swedish Hospital. “Yoga, which means union or yoking, helps us keep the different aspects of our life in tune with each other, literally and figuratively helping us balance.”
One of the most compelling benefits of doing yoga is that it provides weight-bearing strength movements, which are especially important for older adults and women who may be at risk of developing osteopenia or osteoarthritis, said Martini.
Many people who go to the gym and use weight machines may not realize that while they are doing strength work, they are not necessarily doing essential weight-bearing exercises, something that can be accomplished with your own body weight and yoga sequences.
Weight-bearing exercises help ensure bone preservation, explained Martini, who said that a full body yoga practice also engages a lot of smaller, hard-to-target muscles in the upper body. For example, a high plank position (similar to the top of a push-up) and side planks help engage the smaller muscles that compose the rotator cuff and are important to overall shoulder health.
Using your own body weight for strength training can also be a safer way to get stronger for older adults and others just beginning to exercise, limiting the potential risk of injury from lifting heavier weights.
“You should be able to manage your own body weight,” said Martini. “As a physical therapist I see so many older adults who are unable to get off the ground on their own. Studies have shown that the ability to stand up from the ground without using your hands correlates to longevity. Yoga really helps develop that strength.”
Another common problem is that many patients continue to do just one thing in terms of exercise, the bigger the variety of movement you do, the better, said Martini. “Yoga with upper body exercises like planks, standing poses and single leg balances can help teach your body to adapt to different action and stresses,” he added.
Yoga is also an excellent way to improve core strength and balance, critically important for successful aging. “If you have an area of weakness or tightness, you really can’t escape it in yoga,” said Martini. “Yoga also teaches you to be more mindful of how your body is moving.”
Studies have shown that a regular yoga practice can help people challenged with chronic pain. “Mindfulness and really being in your body can help people learn to navigate and experience pain without being overwhelmed,” said Martini.
There are so many different styles of yoga and Martini encourages people to visit several studios and try classes with different teachers to find what works best and resonates with them.
“Yoga is a nice modality to help transition sedentary people into a more active lifestyle,” said Martini.
“There are so many people who are so disconnected from their bodies, and literally out of alignment sitting at a desk or staring at a screen all the time. Yoga is empowering and it forces you to be in your body.”
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