Is Yoga good for Arthritis?
Sonia Jones ND from the Haven Spa and Health Clinic 
Yoga has stood the test of time having been used for 3000 years as a system of meditation and exercise in the East. In the last two or three decade it has become extremely popular all round the world.
It’s a great way to relax, get supple and exercise the body, but of course it’s not a miracle cure for arthritis. However, commitment is the key to helping your condition. This is why it’s important to go to a good class to learn the correct posture and techniques for your particular set of difficulties.
Yoga helps in many ways by – improving your posture and helping to strengthen the neck, shoulder and back. It can help alleviate back pain and sciatica, strengthen back muscles and improve flexibility in general so important with arthritis type conditions with stiffness being a big problem. Yoga can boost your emotional health through its exercise and meditative aspects and help concentration, focusing away from your pain. It is a safe exercise for you and taken regularly will improve aerobic fitness by increasing the breathing and heart rates but also strengthening residence, muscle strength, flexibility and stamina. The best thing about all of this it’s achieved with LOW IMPACT, vital with your type of condition.
To answer your question – sure yoga will help you manage your arthritis as part of a broader lifestyle program to get yourself well.
However, you still need to be sensible as specially at first – keep with the realms a what is comfort, within your range of movement and gradually as times goes by you will gain more flexibility, you need to be patient. Do not force it.
Read MoreThe Baby Boomers with or without arthritis are turning to Pilates
More emphasis these days is on self-help, more on health and certainly being as active as possible for as long as possible. Many baby boomers are turning to exercise classes like Yoga, Callanetics and Pilates. As we age we begin to give up jogging, or high impact sports, or aerobic classes for the low impact exercises, a full workout without wear and tear, and a very low incidence of injury. The exercises that will equip us for later life – the most important are flexibility, mobility and most importantly balance and stability. As people get older one of their worst fears is falling and breaking bones. It is a serious problem as we age, so having good balance gives you the confidence to live life to the full.
Test balance and stability – while holding on to something stand on one foot, with the other foot off the ground about 2 feet, leg bent at the knee. Now let go of what you holding on to and see how long you can balance on one leg. Swap to the other leg.
The key words used to describe Pilates are
Stretching
Lengthening
Better Posture
Mobility
Balance
Stability
Flexibility
Gentle but effective
The emphasis is no longer on jumping, bouncing, jogging, running, high kicks, or big weights. NO MORE – ‘no pain no gain’ mentality.
How can Pilates help you
Pilates can slow down the signs of aging – everyday tasks are easier and more fun
A low impact exercise – leaves your body feeling relaxed, so less aches and pains
Pilates like yoga encourages deep breathing, this oxygenates the blood encouraging more nutrients and oxygen to every cell in the body. This helps the body in its task to detox and repair. Better brain function.
Pilates allows people to continue on a fitness program after having to give up the high impact activities of their younger days.
As already discussed Pilates increases overall mobility and bone density which is especially important as we age.
Pilates decreases stress and tension, having a knock on affect on joint inflammation, swelling and stiffness due to a reduction in stress hormones.
Pilates can be done by men and women of any age. There is no need for any expensive equipment or special clothing. A mat and very comfortable clothing and are are ready
Pilates will you feel and look so much younger with a bounce in your step, as opposed to shuffling around.
Make other lifestyle changes especially the things you eat and drink.
Read MoreWhat is the difference between Pilates or Yoga?
Both Pilates and Yoga will help manage the various forms of arthritis, Pilates or Yoga.
Pilates and Yoga are similar and at the same time very different, like Pilates from the West and Yoga from the East.
Yoga is centuries old, its roots are in Eastern philosophy, and ancient healing with almost meditative states of exercise. It about harmony, peace, at one the whole body, mind and soul.
Pilates is the young upstart from the West, designed by German born Joseph Pilates. It’s an exercise method that is all about physical conditioning of honing and toning.
Both Pilates and Yoga emphasis correct breathing, control and physical strength, and balance.
Both Pilates and Yoga require physical and mental concentration to get the pose or position correct.
Do do Pilates or Yoga, you don’t need special equipment to do the routines and poses.
However, Pilates workout can be enhanced with equipment.
Yoga does make you more flexible physically, the emphasis is on the mind.
Pilates does work the mind, but the emphasis is on the body, building strength and flexibility.
Yoga holds a pose and in so doing it dispenses stagnant energy and helps to get your chi flowing again. Tension in the body eases as you center your mind and condition your body.
In a nut shell Yoga emphasizes on feeling good and then looking good
Pilates emphasizes looking good and then feeling good
Still can’t make up your mind – no problem there are now YogaPilates classes so you have the best of both worlds.
Read MoreArthritis is really helped with the correct exercise
Pain can make the thought of exercising quite of putting, lets face it some of us don’t need much excuse, but exercise really can help you especially with arthritis type conditions. There are many types of exercise, making it difficult knowing where to begin for fear of making things worse. Choose the right type of exercise and it will help alleviate your symptoms.
Any thing you choose to do whether you are in pain or not you need to enjoy doing. We are all different, some prefer tai chi or chi gong and some people may prefer yoga, or simple stretching, others swimming.
When I am asked at the clinic which is best for their condition I generally tell the clients to listen to their bodies. Your body will tell you whether you have found relief from doing the exercises. This will be in the form of decreased pain and an increase in range of movement. Of course it may take some time to see some good results, some sufferers are lucky they feel better immediately.
When you find an exercise to suit you, the better the chances of sticking with it, the longer you will continue doing it, the longer you will reap the benefits.
It has been said that hatha yoga practiced regularly, a long with the correct diet (vitally important) can cure arthritis.
But you don’t have to bend over backwards to see great results from regular exercise. It could be a simple as taking a walk each day. If you are unable to do this then maybe start by walking 1 -2 times per week. Set yourself attainable goals and start off slowly and gently.
Swimming is a great form of non weight bearing activity, or aqua aerobics this so much gentler than normal aerobics. You can befit from just working your arms and legs in the water. You can do pendulum type exercises with your arms and simple kicking exercises for your legs. Some studies have found that men who swam compared to men who did no exercise at all, had significantly better bone density levels.
There are other activities that would help you limber up like ball room dancing, gentle cycling or gardening such a great hobby.
In a nut shell –
do what you enjoy
that is safe
listen to your body
never over do it, more is never better
get moving but be gentle
So get up out of the chair and start exercising, you have everything to gain and nothing to lose (except perhaps a few pounds).
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In too much pain to be active You maybe in too much chronic pain to exercise in the usual way. For chronic pain (NEVER for acute pain – just received from an injury) – soak in a hot bath with a couple of large handfuls of Epsom salts, relax with some calming essential oils and listen to relaxing music. After a little soak, gently and very carefully move your joints, and slowly stretch your muscles just a little. Always listen to your body never cause them to be too painful. As your diet improves and your condition improves you can then contemplate yoga or pilates, in a gentle way at first. Remember listen to your body. |
Arthritis & Pain Program at The Haven
