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Yoga benefits for people with back pain

Are you a poser? If so that’s great, as yoga can give you a strong and flexible body that is ideal for supporting and protecting your back.

Back pain is a serious problem in society today with 80% of Americans expected to experience it at some point during their lifetime.

This is due to a number of reasons such as people living ever more sedentary lives and spending more time sitting down than in the past.

So, to guard against this pain you need to make a few adjustments to your lifestyle including trying to stay active with regular exercise.

As this will keep your body strong, flexible, balanced and healthy enough to be able to withstand the pressure and strains placed upon it throughout the day.

And one of the best activities that people who suffer from persistent back pain can do to achieve this is yoga.

As many studies have found yoga to be a really effective way for them to manage their pain and improve their overall quality of life.

But how exactly does it help?

Well, in a number of ways and I’ll go through each of them now.

Yoga Benefits

The lengthening and strengthening of your muscles as you move from one yoga pose to the next is fantastic for increasing your flexibility.

And this is really great for the health of your back.

Staying flexible and loose keeps your body well-balanced which relieves the pressure and strain on your back throughout the day.

And you don’t need to become a super yogi to get these results either.

A study from the University of Doncaster found that just a single 90-minute yoga session per week was enough to increase flexibility in their participants significantly. 

Yoga Strengthens Your Core Muscles

When you’re holding your body in the various yoga poses and postures you will be supporting varying levels of your own bodyweight.

And this really works your deep-lying core muscles and helps to build your core strength.

This is great as it’s these core muscles that provide support, stability, and protection for your spine as you go about your daily business.

Especially when you’re carrying out powerful movements such as those used when doing manual tasks like gardening or playing competitive sports.

So, yoga can be a good way of giving your back the support it needs to stay both pain and injury-free.

Yoga Improves Your Posture

You need to learn to maintain a healthy posture when sitting, standing and moving around if you want to avoid back pain.

This will help to spread the pressure and strain from the forces of gravity evenly across your body rather than placing the burden on your back.

And practicing yoga regularly is one way to improve your posture.

As it keeps your body nicely balanced and relaxes any tight muscles that may be causing you to hunch over.

Plus the extra flexibility and core strength you get from yoga will make it much easier to hold your body in an upright and comfortable posture naturally.

Which is what you need to do to relieve the pressure and strain on your back throughout the day.

Yoga Increases Circulation

Another advantage of releasing any tight muscles through yoga is that it can open up any blocked pathways and increase circulation and blood flow.

And this helps your body to deliver oxygen and nutrients to the muscles and tissues in your back that they need to heal, repair and stay healthy.

While also flushing away any trapped waste and toxins which may be causing painful inflammation.

So, your back will end up feeling much healthier and happier because of this.

Yoga Relieves Stress

Yoga has been found in many studies to be a great way of relieving stress and anxiety.

As the deep stretches aligned with controlled breathing relaxes your body, calms your nervous system and slows down your heart rate.

And this is great for people with persistent back pain.

As the nagging aches and pains can leave you feeling stressed out, angry and frustrated.

And feeling this way only makes the pain worse as we tend to hold this tension within our bodies.

So, it’s really important that you learn to relax and yoga is the ideal way of letting go of any stress you’re feeling.

Helps You to Sleep Better

Unfortunately, many people with persistent back pain struggle to sleep well, with one study finding that a whopping 78% of the people they tested suffered from sleep problems.

And this is bad news.

Because your body needs a high-quality restful sleep to be able to repair and recover from the previous days' stresses and strains and stay healthy.

And when you fail to get this restorative sleep you can end up with a stiff and sore back in the morning.

So, you need to work on sleeping better and the good news is that practicing yoga is great for this.

As it stretches and relaxes your muscles while also calming your nervous system, leaving you in the ideal restful state for sleep afterward.

And a study from the Harvard Medical School found that yoga was so good at improving sleep that it could even help those with chronic insomnia.

After 8 weeks of daily yoga, the participants with insomnia were falling asleep easier and sleeping for longer and more deeply.

So, give yourself a better chance of getting the deep and restorative sleep your back needs to stay fit and healthy by practicing yoga regularly.

Gives You A Positive Outlook

Yoga is far more than just a series of stretches that tone and conditions your body.

In fact, it can be a very spiritual activity as well.

As the mindful movements and deep controlled breathing help to create a zen-like feeling inside that calms and soothes you mentally and emotionally.

Leaving you feeling more relaxed, happy and positive.

And this is a great outlook for people with back pain to nurture.

As this positivity gives you the confidence and ‘can do’ attitude you need to be able to fight the challenges that persistent back pain brings.

Helping you to live a better quality of life and keep your back pain in check.

In Summary

So, as you can see practicing yoga is a wonderful way of keeping your back fit, healthy and free from pain.

As it makes you flexible, strengthens your core, and improves your balance and posture which all help to greatly reduce the pressure and strain on your back.

And it also relieves stress, helps you to relax, and gives you the positive frame of mind needed to be able to handle and beat pain.

So, what are you waiting for?

Grab your yoga mat and get ready for a yoga retreat in Mexico!