by Katarzyna Radzka

Created on: October 12, 2010

Yoga has become a popular exercise choice. What used to be viewed as unconventional and eastern has now found its way into western culture and is likely to remain a permanent fixture in many people’s lives and training routines. Yoga like any other exercise requires safety precautions to avoid injury and ensure that you are doing the exercises with correct technique. Here are some safety tips to keep in mind before adding yoga into your exercise routine.

1 – The first thing to remember is to find a yoga instructor who is qualified to take you through the yoga you want to do. As there are many different styles of yoga there will also be different type of yoga instructors. Talk to people who have already done yoga and get their recommendations. A good instructor can make a huge difference to whether you are going to stick with yoga or give up after the first few sessions.

2 – Yoga is a gentle and slow exercise that can not be rushed. It involves a lot of stretching and that’s something you don’t want to be pushing too hard if you haven’t done yoga before. Any sign of pain and it means that you should stop. With each yoga session you will become more flexible but don’t expect to be able to stretch as far or as long as the instructor or long term class attendees if you’re only beginning. Stay safe by taking things slow and you are more likely to stick with yoga for longer. Yoga requires patience as you tend to go through the exercises slowly while concentrating on breathing techniques and stretching.

3 -  Taking five to ten minutes to warm up before doing a yoga session can help your muscle be more flexible and less injury prone. Run on the spot, skip, or do some dynamic stretches to get your body ready for your yoga class. The more warmed up your body is the less likely you are to pull a muscle or suffer from something worse.

4 – Whenever you are doing a stretch that requires to keep your legs straight, bend your knees slightly. Locking them can result in injury so don’t do that. If you are kneeling on the floor make sure that you do so on a padded or matted surface. Protecting your knees is important in any exercise as it’s easy to injure them through exercise.

Yoga has many health benefits. If you decide to make it a part of your training follow these safety tips and take your time in adapting your body to the various positions. With time you’ll get better and continue getting lots of out of yoga.

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