Yoga ??......Hmmmm

[Nightblade]

Ok...so I admit I laugh at all those hippy dippy types walkin around with their little mat rolls and wearing their spandex(which I know better than to do)But lately I have been thinking bout looking into it.Any of you older fellas get into it.As for any and all ages,what do you get out of it.I've been doing some light research and am under the idea that their are many different styles one can do besides the pretzel bending types?? I dunno...maybe it's all the curry I been eatin lately.Still curious to hear the feed back. Thoughts Sahib ??

[breadstick]

I don't know how old you are, but I'm 31 and do yoga as part of P90X. It is very hard at first (who knew you could sweat by just standing still), but you will feel so much better once you get the hang of it and your body starts to loosen up a bit. Also, if you work out regularly, you'll begin to feel better in your workouts and, usually, be able to work harder and longer.

There are many types of yoga, so you'll have to do some research about which one is right for you. If you just want to give it a go on the cheap, there are intro DVDs at Wal-Mart and places like that for very cheap.

[Catrentshaving]

I've tried a couple of types of yoga in the past and should really get back into it. I prefer the ashtanga as its also strength building. Amazing workout, sweat and all, and the results for my back and body pains are definately worth it and the calming effect as well ohmmmm...lol.

[Shoki]

Bikram yoga is really good. I like it because they really push you to do your best. I would never work that hard on my own. You completely forget about the days worries and really focus inward.It's a lot like hitting yourself in the head... It feels so good when you stop. At the end of a session it almost feels like you are reborn. It feels great!

--Shoki

[Lazarus]

For years I ignored all of my friends and family members who suggested I try Yoga to get some relief from my chronic neck and back pain. Finally about 5 years ago (when I was 48) I tried it as part of an overall fitness program that included weights, swiss balls and kick boxing. It was all fairly hard core but the Yoga especially challenged me and I found myself gravitating to it as I was so bad at it. I soon found my neck and back pain (which I had tried everything short of surgery to fix) going away. I was sleeping better, had more energy and was able to meditate for longer periods without physical discomfort. I saw enough benefit that I became a certified Yoga teacher. There are indeed many different kinds of Yoga and competent teachers for most of them are available in the Denver area. Yoga is powerful medicine. It can cause serious problems (I am talking about catastrophic injuries) if not done right. If you would like to PM me I would happy to chat further about getting started with Yoga and do my best to answer any questions you might have.

[Shuriken]

Well, I never expected that my first post on a shaving forum would be about yoga, but the world is a strange and interesting place.

I basically agree with what Lazarus posted before me, but I also have my 2cents worth to add:

I started doing yoga at the age of 29 and have now been at it for 10 years.

One of the things l have learned about yoga, is that even the simplest practices can have profound effects over the long term.

There are many, many different flavours of yoga to suit almost every temprament, from the more relaxed Shivananda and Satyananda styles to the more intense Bikram "Power yoga" and Ashtanga yoga.
I am sure there are lots of studios offering free intro classes, so do shop around for something that suits you.

Something to remember when attending a yoga class is that whilst you should always push yourself a little, you should always be aware of your limits and never over extend or you could end up injuring yourself.

Avoid comparing your progress to that of others; some people are naturally more flexable or stronger than others (or they have been doing it for longer). You will be surprised at what you can achieve over time with just a little effort.

The human body is an amazing piece of work, and the science of yoga knows just how to tune it up for optimal performance.

Oh yes, and you have to be really brave to wear spandex. Personally, I'll leave that up to the yoga goddess nymphs !!

Have fun and remember;
breathe into the pain ;-)

[CGarza]

Bikram yoga is really good. I like it because they really push you to do your best. I would never work that hard on my own. You completely forget about the days worries and really focus inward.It's a lot like hitting yourself in the head... It feels so good when you stop. At the end of a session it almost feels like you are reborn. It feels great!

--Shoki

This comment pretty much sums it here- that 90 minutes of 105-110 degree is an experience. I started doing yoga about 4 years ago mainly to try something different for my back which I injured in college. I played 3 different sports in high school and 2 years of college basketball so I have my share of past injuries that are now starting to "bother" me if you will.

I know use work it in on Sundays to stretch my body out from a full week of crossfit and strength training. Definately recomment Bikram to anyone- it's addicting and rewarding. You will love it.

[ATG]

I don't post much but I couldn't help myself with this topic.

As a certified Kinesiologist as well as someone who is currently doing a master's degree in spine biomechanics I would strongly recommend against yoga.

Yoga tends to push the end range of the body's joints and place unnecessary strain on bones and ligaments. In addition, cyclic flexion and extension has been shown to produce disc herniations/bulges. Over time, one can become more susceptible to a repetitive and progressive injury.

In a clinical setting, I have seen a considerable number of yoga and pilates instructors/practitioners come in with back problems and they can never understand why yoga gave them an injury.

The principle behind the injury is usually that as one continues with yoga they develop a considerable amount of flexibility - this is not necessarily a good thing. As a person's flexibility increases, so does the laxity they have in their joints, this makes it increasingly easier for a person to "slip up" and injure a ligament. If you think of the spine as a rod and the muscles supporting it as guy wires around the rod, it would make sense that the tighter and more in balance the wires are, the more stable that rod is going to be. By increasing the laxity in the guy wires, the rod becomes increasingly unstable and is more likely to topple over. The vertebrae in the spine are also supported by muscles much like the guy wires in the analogy; acute spinal injuries can occur when one vertebra shears over another. The shearing happens with lax muscles do not provide enough support to the vertebral column and the load is transferred to a ligament.

If you're looking for more information on the topic, as well as further use of the guy wire analogy lol, here's an article from the New York Times:

Is Your Ab Workout Hurting Your Back? - NYTimes.com

The professor interviewed in the article is actually my supervisor, they also did a video at our university demonstrating some more spine-conserving exercises:

Core Values - Video Library - The New York Times

[knightwolf]

+1 to the p90x yoga the stretching yoga is nice the strength building yoga is surprisingly difficult for not using any resistance. But it leaves you feeling great.

[Lazarus]

[QUOTE from ATG
As a certified Kinesiologist as well as someone who is currently doing a master's degree in spine biomechanics I would strongly recommend against yoga.

Yoga tends to push the end range of the body's joints and place unnecessary strain on bones and ligaments. [/QUOTE]

While you make some important points your conclusion is too broad. The links you provide highlight the dangers of certain ab exercises none of which are part of a traditional Yoga practice. In fact the three exercises which are recommended as safe in Professor McGill's video are all things I learned in Yoga. Given the wide variety of contemporary western Yoga what do you mean when you use the term?

There is nothing inherent in the practice of Yoga that would dictate pushing the end range of joints or placing unnecessary strain on bones and ligaments. Good Yoga teachers are very aware of these exact issues and are careful to emphasize best practices to avoid placing the stress into the joints and ligaments. Good teachers are also aware of issues such as hypermobility and joint laxity. All of the points you and your linked resources make were made in the 250 hour Yoga teacher training program I went through.

On the other hand I was given exercises by a certified kinesiologist that caused a severe injury to the mildly injured shoulder we were trying to fix. That is not an indictment of kinesiology, just one kinesiologist. It did not cause me to strongly recommend against doing physical therapy with certified kinesologists.

Having said that I would agree that working with a poor teacher (of which there is no shortage) or not being mindful in your practice can result in the problems you point out. In this regard Yoga is like pretty much any physical activity in that it can tend to cause injury if done improperly. As Professor McGill says "There is no such thing as an ideal abdominal exercise for everybody".