yoga for stiff joints

Hello all

has anyone tried yoga to combat/ease achy muscles,stiffening joints ? has it helped ?

jen

Re: yoga for stiff joints

Hi Jen my neighbour goes to Pilates and says that helps to keep her muscles and joints supple and it is not as demanding as Yoga which she also tried .

Re: yoga for stiff joints

Hi jen. I don't know if its something you like doing, but swimming's good for that. I haven't done yoga for years, but some people swear by it. Hope you find something that help

Re: yoga for stiff joints

I have been doing weekly Yoga at elast twice a week for over 3 years now, and love it.
It can be as strenuous or as gentle as you wish. Some people think of Yoga as sitting with your feet round your neck, but that's always said by people who have never been, so don't know.
I do two sorts - Pranayam, which is breathing exercises and has many healing benefits, and Hatha Yoga which is more physical. I do my Pranayam with a group of Hindu people and it is so gentle and calming, and spiritual, even someone in a wheelchair could easily do it.
I find the English tutors teach quite differently to the Indian people, and are also more money orientated! I've seen classes advertised for £10 per hour, yet one Saturday morning class run by the Hindu's is for 1 & half hours, and is completely free. I don't know of one single English tutor who would do that.
I would say, if you find the right teachers, its brilliant - go for it Jen.

Re: yoga for stiff joints

Hi all, thanks for your replies
Meg,never thought of pilates,shall look into it.
Alice,i do swim but low boredom threshold and being very slow i tend to give up after 2 lengths ,i should persevere. i do aqua cardio twice a week,which probably does help a bit,its definately helped with balance which is a good thing.
Mupps,i'll probably try both options,there is a class at my local leisure centre,and a yoga only centre not far away.
I'm determined to get rid of the constipated duck walk after i've been sitting for a while.

Re: yoga for stiff joints

I run a weekly Pilates session for the U3A. Everyone attending has health issues (mostly age-related, arthritis for instance), and they all agree that they have benefited, even after only a couple of sessions.

So my advice would be to look into Pilate, either at your local leisure centre, community/village hall, or try the U3A (if you are over 50 and not in full-time employment).

Good luck!

Re: yoga for stiff joints

yoga is great and I really should get to do it more often. Not everyone can do a `Sun Salutation`with the grace of a river but just a few moves combined with relaxation can be so beneficial.

Re: yoga for stiff joints

Anyone have any links to good youtube vids with some beginner lessons? I have always wanted to try it

Re: yoga for stiff joints

You could try the Indian way of learning Azz? If you google the Pranayam/Yog Aasan with Swami Ramdevji you should be able to find something.
I've got several of his DVD's, but they are quite poor quality and are translated into English. I mostly go to classes where I can talk to people and ask questions if necessary.

Re: yoga for stiff joints

I used to do yoga at home just by reading a book full of pictures which explained all the positions you can achieve, especially for those who are new to it.
I found it quite relaxing because you can push yourself if you want to or do the exercises that are less strenuous and still feel you've achieved something when your body is aching later