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Hidden Dangers of Yoga at Home - Do's and Dont's

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Practicing yoga at a homely setup can, at times, be entailed with various forms of hidden dangers. Read the article to know more.

Medically reviewed by

Shakti Mishra

Published At April 11, 2023
Reviewed AtApril 11, 2023

Introduction

Yoga is a form of exercise that has numerous benefits, like all types of exercises. But is it ever possible for a widely accepted practice and exercise of such sort to have any dangers associated with it? Unfortunately, yes, yoga does come with its baggage of associated dangers, especially when performed at home. This article dives into the various causes of the same.

What Are the Various Dangers of Practicing Yoga at Home?

Although as homely as one’s house might be, it may not always be the ideal or perfect place to practice yoga. This could be because of the following reasons:

  • There may be a lack of clearance at home for asanas that require twists, turns, and flips.

  • There may be clutter around the place of practice, which might further act as interference.

  • In places where there is no clutter, furniture and other household items could create more interference.

  • Small pets and children could run around the house, which not only disrupts the peace and tranquility required to practice yoga but can also lead to accidental falls and slips.

  • The flooring may not be appropriate for practicing yoga, possibly because of its texture, therefore further leading to accidents.

  • Not practicing under a trained instructor or a professional can also lead to various bodily injuries.

What Are the Consequences of Practicing Yoga With the Various Dangers Present in the Home?

The major pitfall of practicing yoga in an environment that is not designed well for it is that it can lead to various accidents and injuries that are associated with yoga, such as:

  • Muscle Sprain: Very commonly occurring, muscle sprains usually occur because of incorrect posture, or performing yoga without warming up appropriately. When the body is not warmed up enough, each movement of the yoga poses or asana tends to be like sudden bursts of shock to the muscles, leading to sprains, pains, moans, and zero gains.

  • Spinal Injury: Although yoga is known to have several benefits for the back and the spine, doing them incorrectly, without supervision in cramped spaces can result in fatal accidents, fractures, and slip disk injuries.

  • Strain Associated With the Attachments of Hamstrings: Compared to people indulging in other sorts of exercises and sports, yoga practitioners appear to be particularly susceptible to hamstring attachment problems. This little region deep inside the bottom of the glutes can partially rip with continuous and repetitive overstretching. It is located at the top of the hamstring, where the tendon links and adheres to the sit bone. Hence, if performed too forcefully, positions like forward folds may strain the muscles. When that occurs, the tears may result in the development of scar tissue, which may tighten and constrict the tendon even more. People tend to have the urge to strain themselves even more, but doing so only makes things worse.

  • Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: Several yoga asanas, such as the weight-bearing asanas require tremendous strength of the wrist and its associated structures, If not done properly, or under supervision, it can lead to numerous wrist ailments, and the wrist, primarily is not that strong. People should warm up well before going ahead with the weight-bearing asanas. They should also focus on strength training before performing such asanas.

  • Rotator Cuff Injuries: Raising the arms over the head is a common component of yoga poses, and if done incorrectly, the rotator cuff could suffer damage, especially over time. The four muscles that make up the rotator cuff help to support the shoulder. They attach from the shoulder joint at its ball to the shoulder socket by encircling the joint from the back, front, and top. A strenuous yoga practice can become more dangerous when the muscles are underused, making them weaker. In addition, posture variations using weights or movements that need strong shoulders might overwork the rotator cuff, compressing and inflaming it.

  • Stiff Neck: Yoga asanas that require holding the head forward at all times might put more strain on the neck and spine. In particular, when it requires people to turn their heads in one direction and their body the other. This might result in weak neck muscles that are more vulnerable to injury. In addition, the positions where people allow their heads to fall back, like the camel pose, are particularly challenging because they appear to release the neck muscles but may actually put additional strain on them.

  • Lower Back Pain: Yoga is good for the back muscles since it prioritizes loosening up the hips, which is sometimes a key factor in lower back injuries. Yet, yoga may also be a cause of back pain too. Most often, competitive yoga practitioners make this mistake by trying to put their hands on the floor when they have never been able to do so or by locking their knees when bending forward because they believe that is the appropriate and ideal way to do it.

What Measures Can People Take To Minimize the Dangers and Hazards at Home While Performing Yoga?

People can take several measures to minimize the dangers and hazards at home while performing yoga, such as:

  1. Declutter the house, allowing more room to practice yoga safely.

  2. Have a calm and happy mindset while practicing yoga.

  3. Take baby steps, and accept the fact that it might take some time to achieve the targets.

  4. Religiously repeat the basic asanas and yoga postures, so that it is easier to master them and transition to the other complex variations.

  5. Use a good quality yoga mat, especially if the flooring of the house is very slippery and grip-less.

  6. Use various yoga props, such as cushions, blocks, pillows, foam rollers, straps, etc. to perform yoga as they provide additional support, and help create the perfect balance which is required for minimizing fatal accidents.

  7. People should take the help of a professional, at least for the first few sessions until they are well-familiarized with the asanas and the movements.

Conclusion

Yoga is one of the most well-known forms of exercise but provides benefits only when done appropriately. When practiced at home, it can on several occasions do more harm than good for the reasons mentioned above. Hence, it is crucial to have a clean and accident-safe environment before.

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Shakti Mishra
Shakti Mishra

Nutritionist

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