Yoga is a popular health and wellness exercise because it improves a person’s mental, spiritual, emotional, and physical well-being. It’s an excellent exercise that helps enhance flexibility and combat stress and even treats some chronic illnesses. Widely known as a safe practice, it’s quite unbelievable to learn that yoga has its share of negative effects.
The five negative effects of yoga include aggravating osteoporosis, unsafe for pregnant women, interfering with the menstrual cycle, posing threats for glaucoma complications, and the feeling of social pressure.
Let’s find out the detrimental effects of yoga and learn how we can avoid them and focus on reaping only its beneficial results.
May Aggravate Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis causes bones to become brittle and weak to the point that they become excessively feeble. Even slight actions such as bending and coughing can cause fractures and lead to permanent damage such as physical disability and pain.
Given the nature of yoga, people suffering from osteoporosis and other weak bone conditions are discouraged from practicing it. Yoga routines require different postures, body flexing, and bends which increases the risk of fracture for people with brittle and weak bones. People experiencing neck, shoulder, knee, hip, wrist, and back pain are considered high-risk groups and are advised to consult their doctor before enrolling to avoid injury.
Studies also show that specific yoga routines involving flexing and extending the spine area are linked to osteoporosis, such as Salamba Sirsasana and bridge and downward dog pose. These yoga postures are also related to compression fractures, disk degeneration, and more than 20 other bone fractures.
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Unsafe for Pregnant Mothers
This may come as contradictory to the common belief that yoga is beneficial to pregnant women to help them relax, stay physically fit, and practice proper breathing in preparation for labor. Yes, there’s a specific yoga class for pregnant women called “pre-natal yoga” which helps in improving sleep, relieving back pain, destresses, and strengthening the pelvic muscles in preparation for labor and childbirth.
Pregnant women are advised to avoid yoga, especially during the first trimester. It requires stretching and extensive workout routines, which pose a high risk of miscarriage. Yoga also involves tremendous activity in the pelvic region, which can cause abortion if performed incorrectly.
After the first trimester of pregnancy, expectant women may do yoga exercises, but they must consult their physician first. Also, yoga routines should be done with the supervision of a professional yoga instructor.
Postures should be modified to suit the condition of those pregnant. Instead of aiming for endurance and flexibility, focus on postures that improve strength and stability. Intense, extensive, and unsafe routines that require abdominal contractions, withholding breath, deep and rapid twists, and full inversion movements, as well as hot yoga, should be avoided.
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Interferes with the Menstrual Cycle
Doing physical activities during red days is uncomfortable. In the case of yoga, it’s not just annoyingly awkward; it also interferes with the normal menstrual flow.
Performing yoga routines during your menstrual period can disturb and interfere with your normal flow, such as severe bleeding or sudden cessation of menstrual flow. Other side effects include back and pelvic pain, tiredness and loss of energy, PMS, and abdominal cramps and pain.
Intense yoga stretching bends and postures increase the discomfort, and for others who experience dysmenorrhea, these can intensify the pain. Furthermore, avoid Kapalabhati Asana yoga because it targets the contraction of abdominal muscles.
There are also specific yoga poses that you should avoid during menstruation because it interferes with your mental health, may trigger depression, and affects the ovulation cycle. Boat pose, Navasana, Sirsasana, Halasana, Vriksasana, Upward abdominal lock, Dhanurasana, Bharadvaja’s Twist, and Sarvangasana are a few of the high-energy poses that should be avoided during the monthly period because they can lead to rapid loss of energy.
Poses Threats for Glaucoma Complications
Surprising as it may sound, yes, yoga poses complications for existing glaucoma conditions. Remember, yoga involves headstands, shoulder stands, and complicated inversion postures that cause pressure build-up in the eyes.
This is the reason why people at high risk and diagnosed with Glaucoma are encouraged to consult with their ophthalmologist. Once the doctor gives clearance to do yoga, a discussion about the current condition and limitations with the instructor must follow. One can still enjoy basic yoga, but the postures should be modified to avoid exacerbating the pre-condition.
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5. Feeling Socially Pressured
Most regular yoga goers are already-fit and living healthy lifestyles. Some flaunt a vegan diet, while others are proud of their healthy eating habits. There’s nothing wrong with being healthy and eating healthy foods but the flaunting, and honest mistake of oversharing can pressure the ones struggling with weight loss.
No one gains optimum flexibility overnight because it’s a process. However, not being flexible enough to do complicated poses and not being able to follow the routines can take a toll on someone’s confidence which results in self-doubt and quitting.
This is why choosing a suitable class is essential. It always helps to remember that you are not there to compete with other yogis. You are there to do yoga to achieve personal goals, and you are getting better each day. If it helps, compare yourself with your old self, and you will discover the progress you’ve made.
Conclusion
Yoga was introduced to help improve health and well-being. However, just like any other exercise, it can lead to negative or, worse, fatal results when done incorrectly. Some of the negative effects of yoga include aggravating osteoporosis, unsafe for pregnant women, interfering with the menstrual cycle, exacerbating glaucoma complications, and the feeling of social pressure.
Having existing health conditions does not mean you can’t do yoga anymore. You just need to consult your physician to ensure that doing it is safe. Once you get a clearance, you need to enroll in the right yoga classes and discuss your unique needs with the instructor to help you modify the postures to your needs. There will be limitations, but you will still get the benefits of yoga without putting yourself at risk.
Frequently Asked Questions
The frequency of doing yoga depends on you. Some of the factors for consideration are your goals, budget, and your availability. You may do yoga every day, once a week, or once every two weeks. Whichever schedule you prefer, ensure it aligns with your goals, needs, and expectations.
Yoga can aid in achieving your ideal weight. Focus on physical and calorie-burning bends, stretches, and postures for weight loss. It will firm up your muscles and result in muscle and core toning and strengthening your body in general.
To learn more about starting your own Yoga Business check out my startup documents here.
Please note: This blog post is for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Please consult a legal expert to address your specific needs.
Meet Shawn Chun: Entrepreneur and Yoga Fan
I’m a happy individual who happens to be an entrepreneur. I have owned several types of businesses in my life from a coffee shop to an import and export business to an online review business plus a few more and now I create online yoga business resources for those interested in starting new ventures. It’s demanding work but I love it. I do it for those passionate about their business and their goals. That’s why when I meet a yoga business owner in public at a studio or anywhere else I see myself. I know how hard the struggle is to retain clients, find good employees and keep the business growing all while trying to stay competitive.
That’s why I created Yoga Business Boss: I want to help future yoga business owners like you build a thriving business that brings you endless joy and supports your ideal lifestyle.