Injury Prevention/reduction

Yoga September Blog September 2025

Injury prevention/reduction

Welcome to the September 2025 blog.  In this blog, we will discuss injury prevention and reduction through the use of yoga.  Yoga as a practice is typically thought of as a stretching and breathing modality.  While there are certainly aspects of this in yoga, what yoga truly does is bring our bodies back to a state of balance. This balance includes breathing, balance, flexibility, and stretching.  Yoga allows the body to be in a state where the proper nutrients can get to the proper areas to both repair and remove items.  The body is a complete system that is constantly nourishing itself through an exchange of elements.  When the body doesn’t get the nutrients to an area, it slowly becomes less efficient. 

This could be complicated, but in reality, it is simple. Imagine a runner who has just finished a race, doesn't stretch, goes straight home, and sits straight down because they are sore.  They get up and everything hurts; the body wants something.  They decide to try yoga, where they stretch, foam roll, and help feed the body’s needs, and they feel better.

When we stretch the muscles, we give them practice to move efficiently, how to be available for nutrients, and work to repair areas of the body.   Attending yoga classes continues the body's desire to move.  Yoga allows dynamic stretching in a way that helps prepare athletes for events and recovery.   If you’ve ever played a sport, you will see stretches from your sport are in yoga.  Expand your mind with additional exercises by making a regular practice. 

Another thing that yoga does is help reduce stress. When we get injured, the body goes out of alignment or balance.  The ultimate goal is to bring the body back to balance.  Think about a pulled hamstring.  You probably limp around and put more weight and stress on the other leg. The hips shift to compensate.  While it’s possible to make around like this for the 4-6 weeks, slow stretching (yoga) has been found to reduce recovery time from injury.   Yoga can work the areas around the injury and build the muscles back into the balance that are necessary to recover. 

The human body knows what it wants; it is our job to help supply it with the exercises, time, and space to keep it balanced.   My personal story, yoga has extended my ability to do martial arts and continue running by taking classes. It is up to us to change our mentality about what yoga can do for us.