When yoga does more harm than good: yoga injuries are on the rise. Follow this advice to avoid getting seriously hurt - Fitness - Brief Article

IT'S HARD TO IMAGINE THAT EXERCISES with Zen-sounding names like Sun Salutation and Standing Tree Pose could cause you harm. But if you're not careful, yoga can do as much damage to your joints and back as high-impact sports like aerobics and running. The more yoga's popularity grows, the more beginners take it up, and the more people get hurt, says Christine Romani-Ruby, a physical therapist practicing in Pittsburgh and a spokesperson for the American Physical Therapy Association in Alexandria, Va.

Here's how to stifle the urge to overdo it, no matter what level yogi you are.

Don't Compete. Focus on how you feel rather than on trying to perfect each move or outdoing your classmates, says Judith Hanson Lasater, Ph.D., a yoga instructor in San Francisco and author of Living Your Yoga (Rodmell Press, 2000). Concentrating on breathing correctly and moving in time with your breath can distract you from perfectionism and focusing on what everyone else is doing.

Set Your Own Goals. Determine one or two reasonable objectives for your yoga practice each day, suggests Lasater. Don't allow your instructor or a partner to push you deeper into a pose if you don't feel ready, adds Romani-Ruby.

Listen to Your Body. Your ability to stretch can change from day to day, says Lasater. If you can't stretch as far as you did yesterday, revise your goals and only stretch until you feel discomfort, but not pain. Skip some poses altogether if necessary.

Speak Up. If you feel pain, stop and ask your instructor how to make the move more comfortable, Romani-Ruby says. If you have a pre-existing injury, consult your physical therapist, yoga teacher, or doctor about poses you should avoid.

COPYRIGHT 2003 Weider Publications
COPYRIGHT 2003 Gale Group