The Most Common Yoga Injuries
Yoga is a great way to get fit. It also helps to align the body, mind, and spirit so you can have a more explicit focus. There are several benefits of incorporating yoga into your daily routines. One mistake, however, can cause an injury, and that will set you up for a world of hurt. Below is a list of the five most common yoga injuries that you and your yoga instructor should be aware of.
Wrist injuries are the most common among yoga lovers. Most yoga poses and moves leverage the wrist to twist the body through some unnatural angles. Wrist muscles and tendons are flexible and vulnerable to instant pressure, repetitive stress, fractures, and sudden manipulation.
To avoid wrist injuries, you need to warm up your hand muscles before a yoga session. Also, in case of wrist pain, stop the exercise. It’s best to consult a physiotherapist if pain persists.
There are three groups of hamstring muscles, and two hamstring injuries common among yogis. These are hamstring pulls and tears. In a typical yoga session, tearing or pulling the hamstring occurs when you push the muscles to stretch beyond comfortable limits.
Not all yoga poses will expose your hamstring to injuries. Before trying the advanced moves such as King Pigeon pose, you will want to begin by warming your hamstring.
A lower back injury is a yogi’s worst nightmare. The pain is often unbearable and can put the practice on hold. Certain yoga moves will strain your lower back and increase the chances of injuries. These include downward-facing dog and forward folds.
The best way to avoid lower back injuries is not to overwork the back muscles. Also, forcing the muscles to elongation will make it vulnerable to unnecessary strain. If you’re going to try those yoga moves that stress the back muscles, first work on building a flexible and robust core.
If you are a yoga instructor, you should have the skills to administer First Aid in case of an emergency. Learn first Aid, CPR, and AED courses online from schools like Newcastle Training.
Shoulder and elbow injuries are often caused by repetitive stress and strain injuries. The latter is developed over time from doing yoga poses incorrectly.
To avoid these injuries, learn the right yoga practices and avoid bad posture. This will also help develop the correct stretching techniques and adopt proper form.
It may not be the most common, but probably one of the most devastating injuries you can pick from a yoga class.
Any yoga move that involves some spinal manipulation could pose a risk to your neck muscles. The rule of thumb here is to avoid forcing your body into very uncomfortable yoga positions.
CONCLUSION
Yoga classes don’t get any riskier than failing to follow instructions and going beyond what your body can handle. For yoga teachers, the above injuries shed some light on what to expect and avoid every time you take your students through the many yoga poses.
