|
You may have heard that yoga can help promote a
healthy low back and knees, but do you know why? Thanks to our modern-day
exercise science, we have a much greater understanding of why certain
postures and techniques are so important for the long-term
health of our muscles and joints. Conversely, we also now know which
postures may pose more risks than benefits.
What helps a healthy low back stay
healthy:
-
Finding Neutral Posture, and
conditioning/stretching the muscles to reinforce Neutral Posture
-
Postures and exercises that move the low back
properly through all three planes: sagittal (front/back; examples: Chair,
Downward Facing Dog); frontal (side/side; examples: Triangle, Half Moon
poses); and transverse (rotation; examples: Spinal Twists)
-
Postures and exercises that promote increased
mobility and flexibility of the low back (example: Pose of the Child), hip
(example: Cow Face), chest (example: Yoga Mudra), and back of the legs
(example: Supine Hamstring Stretch)
-
Postures and exercises which helps strengthen
the low back, abdominal, and upper back muscles; examples include the
Hands-free Cobra, Boat, and the Table pose
What helps healthy knees stay healthy:
-
Postures and exercises which help strengthen
the muscles surrounding the knee; particularly, the vastus lateralis (the
innermost of the quadriceps muscles); examples include the Sun God pose
and Warrior 2
-
Postures and stretches that help promote
increased flexibility of the abductors (the hips); an example is the
Pigeon
Postures that may pose risks to the low back and
knees; approach these with caution:
-
Extreme hyperextensions of the spine (in other
words, Backbends)
-
Unsupported forward trunk flexion (in other
words, a Standing Forward Bend in which your hands are just hovering in
the air)
-
Hero pose: a kneeling position in which the
hips sit between the ankles
-
Shoulder Stands and Headstands (can put excess
pressure on the cervical spine)
-ep
Return to top of page
|
