Fighting Arthritis - Practice Yoga - Weightloss and Wellness

Fighting Arthritis with the help of Yoga.

Exercise is often recommended when you have arthritis, and yoga is one of the top exercises you can do. It is a gentle type of conditioning exercise that is very easy on your joints. Additionally, it can be modified to suit the type of arthritis you have. Especially useful duringthe days when you are in a lot of pain.

Yoga is a known vehicle to achieve fitness and well being. Used properly, it will be very beneficial for persons with arthritis.

Go Slow With Yoga

Before getting into some of the better yoga poses for arthritis. You should not go to any yoga class and try to do all the moves. You will have difficulty with some of them because they are not meant for people with joint pain. For example, there is quite a lot of floor work that requires balancing some of your weight on your hands. This puts a lot of pressure on your hands and wrists, so it can be painful. Don’t rush into yoga, but instead go very slowly and work with a yoga instructor who can modify some of the moves for you.

Sun Salutation

A good yoga move to start with if you have arthritis and are new to this type of exercise is a sun salutation. This is really easy on your body, relaxes you, and is good to do in the morning before starting your day. To do a sun salutation, you just need to stand up with your feet touching and hold your hands to your heart with your palms together. Focus on your breathing as you exhale, raising your arms up as you do so. When you inhale, bend back and stretch your arms into the sky.

Child’s Pose

The next type of yoga move that is good for fighting arthritis is the child’s pose. The child’s pose stretches out your lower back and can help to give you more strength and flexibility in your core. The child’s pose is done on the ground with your knees on the ground and toes together. Reach your arms forward and to the ground, dropping your head as you do so.