How to Get Back to Yoga After a Major Injury
If you experience a major injury, it can be hard to transition back into doing the activity you love. If yoga is your preferred way to exercise, you may be excited and scared to get back to it after an injury. By taking time to acclimate and listening to your body, you can get back to doing the yoga you love, even after a major injury.
Ease into It
The most important thing you should do as you move back to doing yoga after being injured is to ease into and take it slow. It’s important to temper your expectations so you don’t hurt yourself by trying to immediately go back to the skills you had before you were injured. Instead, take time to practice slowly and take breaks as you need them. It’s okay if it takes time before you can get back to your old skill level. Your body deserves the compassion and care to be able to ease back into doing the yoga you love.
Check with a Physical Therapist
After your injury, it is also important that you don’t jump into doing too much without the approval of a physical therapist. Doing too much too soon after an injury can cause it to become reinjured or to never heal completely in the first place. A physical therapist can help you to prepare to return to your usual routine, and let you know when you are ready to get back to doing yoga. Physical therapists may recommend range of motion exercises to help you regain normal movement.
Listen to Your Body
The most important thing you need to do as you return to yoga after an injury is to listen to your body. Pay attention to small changes and warning signs that point to you doing too much. When you listen to your body and stay in a safe zone, you can make sure that you don’t overdo it and that you avoid reinjuring yourself. Your needs and abilities will be different than before your injury, so don’t forget to listen to your body so you can keep doing the yoga you love to do.
If a yoga practice is an important part of your life, you must take time to adjust after an injury. By taking small steps to get back to your previous strength and flexibility, you can keep things feeling good. The more you do to ease into your yoga practice the better it will be in the long run.
If you’re ready to get back into yoga, come to one of our classes!