Yoga for Arthritis: 3 Ways Yoga Can Help With Arthritis Pain

It’s common knowledge that yoga helps build strength, increases flexibility, and improves quality of life. But does it alleviate arthritis? Yes, it does!

While you may be concerned that yoga contains too much twisting, bending, and squatting to be beneficial for your arthritis pain, we’re here to help you understand why this common misconception is far from true

Research and anecdotal evidence has shown that people who suffer from arthritis, or other forms of osteoporosis, greatly benefit from a regular yoga practice. Many doctors are also seeing that yoga is an effective complement to conventional treatments for arthritis pain.

This is why I felt it was important to start a Yoga for Arthritis class at MyYogaTeacher! I want people who suffer from this type of pain to have an opportunity to receive holistic pain relief.

MyYogaTeacher offers traditional, authentic group and 1-on-1 yoga classes to people of all ages, fitness levels, and backgrounds. Our yoga instructors from India are experts in the field of yoga and guide their students on their yoga journey! Because it is a journey, not just a practice!

Not a MyYogaTeacher member? Whether you’re interested in teaching yoga, starting yoga, or growing in your yoga journey, MyYogaTeacher is a great place to do it!

When you sign up for a 1:1 membership with us you get:

• 102 expert, highly qualified yoga instructors to choose from

• The ability to switch instructors or take classes with only your faves

• Access to unlimited group classes, taught live

• Personalized instruction and work out, diet, and lifestyle plans

• To be a member of a HUGE community of happy yogis from around the world

• Yoga teachers who become friends, who truly care about you!

If you haven’t checked us out already, grab two free 1:1 sessions with your 2-week free trial here!

Let’s talk about the three primary ways yoga can help with arthritis pain!

1. Yoga improves balance, alignment, strength, and flexibility

Yoga instructors at MyYogaTeacher meet you where you are. And that’s how it should be! Yoga should never be the source of your pain.

Improving balance helps prevent falls, stumbles, and supports joint health, which is often where people find they develop arthritis - knees, shoulders, hips, ankles, wrists. Additionally, with expert yoga instruction, you can improve your whole body alignment. 

Oftentimes, we experience pain due to the misalignment in our back. This is something you may be familiar with. The rest of your body is similar in that if you are leaning to one side or the other when you walk, favoring one leg over the other, sit at a desk or chair in various ways, or don’t have good posture, it not only affects that immediate area of your body, but your whole body.

Yoga is a great way to remedy misalignment in your body! When you’re taught how you’re body is supposed to be aligned, how it’s supposed to feel, you can more easily self-correct throughout the rest of your day, preventing pain and injury.

Other physical aspects of your body that are affected by yoga and help with arthritis pain are:

• Strength building - Building strength in the muscles around the joints and bones creates a better, more stable support system for them. 

• Flexibility - Becoming more flexible also prevents injury, and stretching promotes the release of lubricating synovial fluid in your body, which lubricates joints and relieves pain.

Tips to practicing yoga if you have arthritis

• Refrain from standing balance poses, such as tree pose, warrior 3, or any pose where you’re standing on one foot.
• Use a chair when needed for any pose