Risks and Side Effects of Yoga

The word “yoga” in the modern world may cause confusion. 

The type of yoga I’m talking about in this post is an ancient Indian practice (a well-known one) that is related to physical, mental and spiritual health. 

This blog will give you a brief overview of the risks and side effects that come with this wonderful practice.

Although there are many benefits to yoga, it does not come without its own set of risks and side effects (not any more than any other form of exercise). 

Yoga can result in muscle soreness, fatigue, or even injury if done incorrectly or if an individual has pre existing conditions such as diabetes or high blood pressure. 

Although many of these risks and effects can be mitigated or prevented, there are still some precautions that individuals should take before beginning a yoga practice.

Here are some of the common risks/side effects that come with yoga exercises:

Tight muscles 

They can be strained during extreme stretching or poses. 

If you feel pain in your muscles while doing a yoga exercise, then it is probably too difficult for your body to complete an exercise without straining your muscles. 

The best way to prevent this is to always go slowly and avoid hyperextending or straining any given muscle.

 If a pose is too difficult, it is okay to bend your legs or knees to find your comfort zone. 

Doing this will prevent injury to your joints and muscles.

 Irritation of the heart valve- if you have a heart condition that is worsened by strenuous activity (such as angina or high blood pressure), 

then yoga exercise may not be suitable for you, until you can speak with your doctor about it .

 A weakened heart- some individuals who have a weakened heart may feel dizzy during a yoga pose, or become fatigued during more vigorous workouts. 

For these individuals, they should proceed with caution when doing yoga.

 Pregnancy- if you are pregnant and concerned about practicing yoga, then it is perfectly safe to start practicing on the mat once your pregnancy is over. 

There are some believe that yoga can help an expectant mother’s pregnancy and instill good prenatal health into their kids. 

It can also improve her posture, balance and health in general.

Anxiety- 

some people may feel that they are too anxious to do yoga. 

This is a natural tendency for those who are still unfamiliar with the practice of yoga. 

The activity can feel strange and uncomfortable to them, which may lead to anxiety, but the benefits of yoga far outweigh any initial discomfort that one might feel when doing it. 

If you feel this way about yoga, then simply take it at your pace and try not to push too hard or strain yourself. 

Yoga is more about persistence, than it is about trying to be perfect from the beginning.

If this happens to you, then choose another form of increasing flexibility (such as foot reflexology) to prevent possible injuries.

Yoga postures may result in muscle soreness. It is common for people to feel soreness the day after they have done a yoga exercise; this is due to muscle constriction. 

The muscles are contracting and relaxing while the body absorbs the postures’ benefits from inside the muscle. 

This can get tiring and painful, so be sure to replace your regular stretching routine with yoga stretches if you want an equilibrated, longer lasting stretch.

 A certain amount of flexibility helps in certain poses. 

Certain poses will help strengthen particular muscle groups;

for example, you wouldn’t want to be doing a pose that will only strengthen your arms if you need your legs strengthened. Therefore, you should do research on the type of yoga exercise you are performing because

 it is important to know what muscle groups are being exercised for the pose and

if your body will be able to withstand the pressure.

 Yoga can become addictive. 

It can be easy for a beginner to become addicted to yoga quickly; 

however, it is recommended that beginners should not practice more than

twenty minutes at a time until their body has adjusted. 

A good way to prevent from becoming addicted is by exercising at home instead of in a studio. After becoming accustomed with poses, you may want to invest in your own mat; this way there won’t be interruptions or distractions while doing yoga exercises. Today Every

 Yoga can increase one’s flexibility and strength. 

This is the main goal of yoga, so increasing flexibility through poses will increase your body’s overall strength. 

Many forms of exercise require you to do different exercises for different parts of your body, such as abdominal exercises and leg workouts. 

Yoga requires you to only do one exercise (the different poses), but it stretches and strengthens every part of your body from the inside out.