6 Ways Yoga Is Beneficial for Your Spine

6 Ways Yoga Can Benefit Your Spine

Yoga was first practiced in Northern India more than 5,000 years ago. Today, it's a popular form of exercise for both experts and beginners that has been associated with many well-documented health benefits. Part of the reason for the mass appeal of yoga is the ability to perform it in many ways and settings, from structured classes to right in the comfort of your own living room. No matter where it's practiced, yoga can also benefit your spine in the following ways.

1. Directly Strengthens Spine Muscles

With yoga, you won't be lifting weights or performing rapid, strenuous movements. Instead, you'll be strengthening muscles that support and stabilize your spine with slow, controlled movements and poses. In what's called direct strengthening, you'll be working muscles that directly support your spine, like the large paired muscles in your lower spine and the flexor muscles attached to the anterior (front) part of your spine that allow you to bend. It's the holding of certain poses and the body manipulations you do that stimulate your back's muscles.

2. Indirectly Strengthens Back-Supporting Muscles

Yoga also targets the core muscles that provide indirect support to the spine. Indirect strengthening focuses on the abdominals, hamstrings, glutes, and other muscles that take some of the burden off of your spine. The cat pose is a perfect example of a yoga position that works the abdominals. The downward-facing dog and bound angle poses are good for the hamstrings.

3. Increases Circulation

Because of the way yoga is designed to stimulate the body, you'll enjoy a boost in circulation, which is a good thing for your spine because a steady flow of oxygenated blood speeds up the body's natural tissue healing process. A boost in circulation can also reduce your risk of experiencing painful muscle spasms around your lower back area.

4. Reduces Fall Risk

Older individuals are at an increased risk of experiencing serious back injuries from falls, often because of a lack of balance and coordination related to age-related changes or weak muscles. Certain yoga moves target muscles in the lower back, thighs, legs, and feet that play an important role in maintaining balance and stability. The chair, tree, and mountain pose and the big toe pose variation of the eagle pose are among the poses typically recommended for balance improvement.

5. Improves Posture

Poor posture is one of the most common contributing factors to back pain, especially if you normally spend most of the day sitting at work. Yoga promotes self-awareness of posture since it's important to maintain the correct posture to perform various yoga moves and poses safely. The direct and indirect strengthening of muscles associated with yoga can further restore and maintain the spine's proper alignment.

6. Eases Stress

Spine pain isn't always physical in nature. In fact, increased mental stress can tense back-supporting soft tissues and contribute to inflammation. If you're regularly experiencing stress, yoga can help because one of the core principles of this discipline is mind-body relaxation, which means you may see a noticeable reduction in instances of back pain as your stress level decreases if you become a regular yoga participant.

If you have existing back pain, check with your doctor or a Los Angeles spine surgeon before taking a yoga class or trying some of the poses discussed above. Also, stop and see your doctor if you experience sudden or lingering spine-related aches and pains after you start a yoga routine. If you’re experiencing chronic spinal pain and are considering surgery as a solution, contact The Spine Institute today at 310-828-7757.