YOGA TIPS

TIRED AND SORE AFTER YOGA?

Do you feel tired, rundown, or sore after yoga? Perhaps you haven’t properly prepared yourself for the strain that yoga can have on your body. A proper yoga workout should include a period of relaxation and stretching before the various yoga positions (asanas) are attempted. In many cases this can be at least five minutes, but you may find that a 10 minute warm-up works better for you.

It is also important that you are performing positions that are within your experience level. Most yoga instructors and yoga videos offer different levels for their students and will tell you not to try any position that may cause a strain. Some positions also require you to hold them for 30 seconds or more. A proper warm-up period will allow you to perform these positions more easily and cause you less discomfort during or after the session.

In addition to performing the correct level of position, it is also important for you to make sure that you are performing it correctly. If attempting the exercises at home, be sure that you have performed the position before or that you are familiar with the correct position. Attempting to perform any positions for which you are not prepared can cause serious injury and prevent you from actually enjoying your workout. Regulating your breathing, an important part of yoga, is also important to ensure that you are relaxed and loose throughout your workout.

You should also make sure that at the end of your yoga workout, you have a cool-down session which will allow your muscles to relax. Even when doing all the exercise properly, some soreness will occur. This generally will pass after you continue to do yoga. After all, you are using muscles you never knew you had! As your yoga sessions continue, the soreness will lessen, until eventually it will disappear altogether. Continuing the practice of yoga is also the best way to avoid further discomfort caused by muscle pain. If you go too long between sessions, the soreness will return and any progress you have made could be thwarted.

Many people believe that soreness is your body’s way of telling you that the exercises are working. However, many fitness experts agree that if you suffer from muscle pain after every workout session, you may want to limit your sessions to every other day. During the workout, your muscles are essentially damaged from the stretching and require some time to heal. You should only attempt back-to-back yoga sessions if you are an experienced practitioner. If soreness or more serious pain continues or becomes apparent, you may want to consult a physician.

You may feel tired after a good yoga workout, but this is true with any sustained form of exercise. Periods of rest and deep breathing will help. In the long run, the more yoga you perform, the stronger and more flexible your body will become. It is also important that you be in decent physical shape before you begin a program of yoga. If you are already in good physical condition, you should experience no more soreness or tiredness than with your usual exercise program.

Christine Dignam

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