Is Yoga Helpful or Harmful?
The benefits and costs of yoga have been an increasingly
controversial topic as the practice continues to rise in popularity.
Pros
Some types
of yoga have been shown to help reduce pain and improve function for
individuals with chronic low back pain (NCCAM, 2013). Additionally, yoga has
been shown to reduce heart rate, decrease blood pressure, relieve anxiety, and ease
depression (NCCAM, 2013). Other studies have shown yoga to improve quality of
life, reduce stress levels, help relieve insomnia, and improve overall physical
fitness, flexibility, and strength (NCCAM, 2013). New research is also investigating
the link between yoga and decreased risk for heart disease, diabetes, epilepsy,
and cancer (Mercer, 2012).
With
its rise in popularity, not all yoga trainers and practitioners are
professionals who have been properly trained. Therefore, not all trainers know
proper techniques and poses, which could put the individuals at an increased
risk for injury. Injuries which could possibly occur from practicing yoga improperly
could be stroke, nerve damage, muscle damage, and joint damage. People who are
pregnant or have certain medical conditions should take caution with some poses
and adapt when necessary to prevent injury.
Ultimate Decision
Looking
at both the benefits and risks, one can see why this issue is such a
controversial one. When deciding if yoga, or any form of physical activity is
right for you, you must consider the pros and cons. As long as yoga is
practiced safely with a trained professional, side effects and serious injury
is quite low (NCCAM, 2013). However, it is
important to find a trained professional who is willing to work with your
personal fitness goals. Additionally, you should know your body, which means
you should know what your limits are. It is great to push yourself a little
more each time, but the “no pain, no gain” approach should no longer be
applied.
References
National Center
for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. (2013). Yoga for health: Get the facts. Retrieved from http://nccam.nih.gov/health/yoga/introduction.htm
You make great points about the cons associated with yoga. Proper training techniques are an issue with any popular group exercise. Yoga is difficult for me because of my size, so I definitely appreciate trained Hatha Yoga instructors. Further, I have rosacea and can get light-headed if I get overheated. For these reasons, avoiding Bikram yoga is essential. For others, it is great. I believe that's a big take-away as well...finding what works for you. Thank you for this post.
ReplyDeleteI had never thought of the pros and cons of yoga before; therefore, you bring up some important facts that one considering yoga should think about prior to practicing this form of exercise. The most important one in my opinion is making sure that the instructor being utilized is a qualified trainer and has the knowledge and capability to instruct you and attend to your needs physically while getting you the results you would like in a safe and effective manner. I think one way to ensure your health and safety is to do your own research on the facility and instructor when possible. I think researching an exercise facility or program is often overlooked because people often tend to focus on the cost benefit ratio without considering their safety.
ReplyDelete-- Irma C
Good post. I would like to add that yoga is also beneficial to those who suffer from arthritis. This is due to the increased flexibility and strength that is obtained from doing yoga.
ReplyDeleteHi, Mimi, I agree with Lauren that you really have to find what works for you. My long-time boss is a big yoga advocate, and has gotten a yoga instructor to give classes at work. While I think this is terrific, I decided it was not for me. Because there is a lot of weight-bearing on the arms, it was causing me a lot of pain. I did not feel relaxed at the thought of going to yoga class! Ironically, what I do like to do is lift weights on the machines. However, this feels more controlled to me since I can decide how long and how much. I would add that it's possible I would enjoy a class with an instructor that focused less on the poses and more on the meditation aspects of yoga. This was a great piece for thought! --Liz
ReplyDeleteHi Mimi,
ReplyDeleteI am a long time practitioner of yoga. I experienced many benefits of yoga and I am happy it has remained a sustained movement rather than an exercise fad. I have periodically tried to locate good research about yoga and it's mental health benefits. Needless to say the research is scarce. However, I searched again when working on my response to this posting, and to my delight found original research just recently published in 2014. A small study of 64 women who were diagnosed with PTSD were found to have a significant reduction in symptoms ( van der Kolk, 2014). I have always believed that yoga has significant mental health benefits which include increasing impulse control behaviors. Hopefully, time will tell and new research will take a look at these mental health topics an their relation to yoga. Thanks for a great post!
Reference
van der Kolk, B. A., Stone, L., West, J., Rhodes, A., Emerson, D., Suvak, M., & Spinazzola, J. (2014). Original Research Yoga as an Adjunctive Treatment for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Randomized Controlled Trial. J Clin Psychiatry, 75(6), e559-e565.
Hello Mimi
ReplyDeleteIt is a interesting post. Besides yoga, I also use the massage when teaching my students with intellectual disabilities. I am not well-trained in instructing yoga so that I used yoga and massage as an alternative for stretching. There was some findings in my class. Massage and yoga on relaxation may reduce the frequency of challenging behaviors. Also, those with ID who took my yoga and massage classes showed improvement of mood. However, it seemed not that effective in those with autism. The reason may be the fact that individuals with autism are sensitive to physical contact. Thanks for the post.