In addition to relaxation, a yoga class can provide various health benefits such as increased flexibility and strength – but only when the poses are done correctly.
The popular workout can cause more harm than good if you don’t know what you are doing – a risk that is commonly overlooked as you transition from pose to pose.
To educate yogis on the various injuries that can occur while doing yoga and how to avoid them, chiropractor Michael C Remy outlined the five most injury-prone positions.
Bridge pose
According to Dr Remy, the first position that poses a risk of injury is the bridge pose.
When done correctly, the bridge pose can help alleviate shoulder and neck pain while increasing flexibility.
However, if the knees are not aligned, meaning they are either behind or in front of the feet, it can put a lot of “rotational stress” on the knees.
To limit the possibility of injury, Dr Remy advises making sure the kneecaps face the same angle as your feet.
Downward dog
This pose is one that commonly results in injuries such as hip or lower back problems or herniated disks, according to Dr Remy https://www.revitalizechiro.com/, and the cause is a lack of proper spine stability.
To ensure that you are safely positioning yourself in downward dog, you must keep your spine neutral – as both overarching and over-rounding are dangerous.
By keeping the spine straight and allowing the stretch to come from the hip joint, you keep the lower back protected.