Yoga is a great peace of mind exercise, but when you are practicing on your own without the guidance of an instructor, or in a crowded class with little one on one attention, it’s hard to stay focused and relaxed while you are constantly worried if your form is correct.
Yoga is a relatively slow and low risk form of exercise, but when poses are done improperly time and time again, your risk of injury and pain can increase tremendously, even with the most simple moves.
LATimes.com recently asked three yoga instructors the top form mistakes they see students make. Here are some of their top ‘don’ts’, and why you want to be careful not to make the same mistakes.
- While in plank position, don’t bend at the waist- you want to keep a nice straight line from shoulders to heels. While bending at the waist lowers the intensity of the exercise, making it easier, it puts too much pressure on your shoulder joints and can cause soreness or injury.
- During your Warriors and other similar poses, don’t let your knee pass over your toe. This puts too much pressure on your knee which can cause pain or injury, and creates a less stable pose.
- During Warriors and Cobra, don’t allow your shoulders to creep up to your ears. You want to keep your shoulders relaxed and your neck long.
- During forward fold, don’t lock out your knees. Even if you are flexible enough through the back of your legs to be able to hold the position with your knees hyper-extended with little discomfort, the pressure on the muscles is still too much, and the position can cut blood flow, causing you to get a ‘head rush’ and possibly even faint when you return to standing.
Whether you are a practicing yogi or give it a try every once in a while to unwind, yoga is exercise like any other kind, and form is crucial. It may take a while to break your bad habits, but in the end, your body will thank you.
