How Yoga Therapy May Help Athletes Heal Faster After Injury
How can you use yoga for injury recovery? Is doing so safe? Here’s what you need to know.
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Scores of studies attest to yoga’s efficacy in helping athletes recover. Much of its power lies in preventing severe injury in the first place. In one study, 18- to 24-year-old college athletes who underwent 12 weeks of yoga training showed increased ankle, knee, shoulder and trunk flexibility, with less lower back pain and greater muscular torque. Flexibility prevents injury by allowing your body to yield more when struck or twisted instead of snapping.
Physical activities originate in your brain, and those with injuries to this organ can find their lives considerably restricted. However, yoga’s mental benefits apply to even these challenging wounds. A recent study found that a yoga intervention successfully helped those with brain injuries reengage with their previous occupations and improve their mind-body connection.
Yoga also qualifies as gentle physical activity that increases blood flow to injured tissues. Supplying wounded areas with fresh oxygen and nutrients helps them heal more quickly. It also eases stress, which can delay recovery by directing too many of your body’s resources away from the healing site. Finally, you can do some forms of yoga, such as restorative, right in bed, which keeps blood and oxygen flowing if you must stay off your feet.
Using Yoga for Injury Recovery — 4 Tips
Is using yoga for injury recovery safe? In most cases, yes. However, choosing the wrong style and pushing too hard could make things worse. You can successfully use yoga to heal faster after injury by following this advice.
1. Check With Your Doctor
You should get a doctor’s approval to do specific workouts if you have an injury. Depending on its extent, they may refer you to a host of therapeutic professionals. For example, your yoga therapy may take place under the care of a physiatrist with a comprehensive understanding of the musculoskeletal system and your unique needs. Better yet, insurance may cover your treatment, so taking this step is wise to protect your future mobility and your pocketbook.
2. Choose the Right Style
A power yoga class may be too challenging for someone recovering from an injury, and the extensive forward folds and dropbacks of the Ashtanga primary series make it questionable for anyone with low back issues. However, those are only two forms of yoga — there are scores of others.
Hatha, yin or restorative are likely your best bets. Hatha combines seated and standing poses and static holds with flowing transitional movements. Yin and restorative use long, passive stretches that stimulate the flow of hyaluronic acid and get deep into muscles and connective fascia. They’re ideal for injuries that result in chronic issues — B.K. Iyengar and Judith Hanson Laseter, who many consider the founders of restorative yoga, designed it for injury recovery.
Can Yoga Enhance Your Recovery?
First, talk to your guide. Arrive a few minutes early and describe your injury. Doing so informs your teacher to avoid adjusting you in certain poses. They may also recommend modifications that may work better as you heal.
3. Learn to Tune Into Your Body
There’s “good” pain and bad. “Good” pain might include a mild tugging sensation that nevertheless feels like a release. Bad pain is sharp and signifies that your body should not move in that direction at this time. Learning the difference can be tricky for athletes who tend to “push through,” but doing so is essential to giving yourself time to heal and preventing further injury.
A good rule of thumb when using yoga for injury recovery is to ask yourself, “Could I do something else while holding this position?” For example, if standing, could you have a conversation, and if lying in a passive pose, could you perhaps fall asleep if tired enough? If a pose strains your body and uses all your concentration, it’s probably not wise to attempt it while you heal.
4. Take Your Time and Practice Self-Compassion
Finally, be patient and kind to yourself when using yoga to heal faster after an injury. Remember, your current goal isn’t to get bigger, faster, stronger or even more flexible. It’s to heal.
Therefore, go slowly and savour your healing time on the mat. The beautiful part about yoga is there is no competition. Instead, yoga invites acceptance of what is, including your body and its abilities in this present moment.
Yoga isn’t about striving or winning but appreciating what your body can do. Nurture yourself on the mat, and make it your space for self-love. Doing so calms your mind and makes you look forward to your practice, and those happy brain chemicals may affect your inflammation levels and how fast you heal.
Yoga for Injury Recovery
A well-designed, intentional yoga program can help athletes heal faster after injury, according to scientific research. Your goal is to find the best routine for your unique needs. Partner with your doctor or take your time researching studios or online resources for the gentle flows you need.
