How Yoga Can Help Your Spine
Category: Spine | Author: Stefano Sinicropi
Yoga has become much more popular over the past decade, and it is performed in studios, classrooms and living rooms across the country by amateurs and experts alike. Yoga provides a lot of whole body benefits, but it also can be extremely beneficial to one specific area – your spine. Below, we explain why yoga can be such a great activity for your spine.
Direct Strengthening
Yoga is great at strengthening the muscles of your back. Although you’re not lifting weights or making fast movements during the activity, you are asked to hold positions, and this requires muscle activation. By holding these positions and manipulating your body in different ways, your spinal muscle strength is improving.
Indirect Strengthening
Your spine also benefits from what we call indirect strengthening. What we mean by this is that there are certain muscles and structures that provide stability and support to the spine, but they are a direct part of your back. Core strength is an integral part of having a healthy spine, and yoga certainly helps your core. When your abs and core are getting a workout during yoga, your spine becomes an indirect beneficiary.
Increased Blood Flow
Yoga is also a great activity because it helps to improve blood flow to the spine and throughout the entire body. Better blood flow means more healthy, oxygenated blood is making its way to crucial structures in the spine, which can aid in muscle recovery and strengthening. It also can help prevent problems like muscle spasms.
Fall Prevention
Falls are one of the most common ways that older individuals hurt their back, and as we get older, our balance can become an issue. Yoga improves the muscles in your feet and in turn your balance, which can help prevent against slips, trips and falls.
Posture Care
Another common cause of spine pain is due to poor posture. By strengthening muscle groups and promoting a healthy spinal curve, yoga can help keep us from slouching or leaning forward when we’re at a desk or on the couch. Yoga also promotes mindfulness and posture awareness, so yoga participants may be more likely to perform self-checks of their posture and make corrections when they see they are out of alignment, which can prevent spine problems.
De-stress
Finally, did you know that stress can actually cause back pain to develop or worsen? Stress can actually be a physical cause of back pain, so if you’re dealing with a lot of stress, consider adding yoga to your routine. One of the main goals of yoga is to free the mind and lower stress levels, which can have a direct effect on your back pain if it is indeed stress-induced.
