Chair Yoga for Back Pain

Yoga is a great activity that can benefit many people, from increasing strength and flexibility to aiding in relaxation and concentration. But, for some people, yoga can be too time-consuming or too painful, leaving them at a loss of how to feel the positive effects that yoga can bring. Luckily, there is an alternative to regular yoga done on a mat: chair yoga. Chair yoga is an excellent alternative to yoga and can be beneficial to many people, including those with back pain.

What is Chair Yoga?

Chair yoga is an alternative to regular yoga, allowing a person to perform yoga poses and stretches while seated or using a seat for balance. Because of the added support from a chair, it remains an effective choice for many people of all ages and levels while still receiving the benefits of yoga.

What Are The Benefits of Chair Yoga?

Like any exercise, chair yoga helps your body in many ways. Here are some of the benefits of chair yoga:

Increased Strength

Doing yoga poses, even seated, builds strength in your muscles. Chair yoga can help increase the strength in muscles you don’t usually use while sedentary. Increased muscle strength can improve balance, injury prevention, and bone strength, making other daily activities easier and less hazardous.

Improved flexibility

As with muscle strength, chair yoga also increases the flexibility in muscles you don’t normally use while sitting. The more you bend, stretch, or twist your muscles, the more flexible you can become for everyday use.

Reduced Joint Pain

Chair yoga poses can target your joints to increase their strength and flexibility to make it less challenging to use them for other activities.

Decreased Stress and Boosted Mood

Chair yoga can be meditative for many. By focusing on your breathing and body movement, chair yoga can help you reduce stress, relax, and increase your concentration. It can also boost your mood, make you more confident, and even improve your sleep.

Reduced Pain

Exercise itself releases endorphins that help you manage pain. Chair yoga can relieve stress or pain, especially in your back and spine, to help your body heal.

Who Could Benefit From Chair Yoga?

Chair yoga is especially useful for older adults and people with mobility issues, who can still reap the benefits of yoga without the need for full body movement. People experiencing back pain can also benefit from chair yoga, as it requires less exertion and strain than regular mat yoga. Chair yoga is also an excellent choice for people who sit at a desk for extended periods of time, such as office workers. If you take a few minutes a day to practice chair yoga, your body can start feeling the benefits.

What Can You Do If You Feel Too Much Pain for Chair Yoga?

Back pain can make it difficult to exercise regularly, and even chair yoga could be too painful for a person with back pain. If you are experiencing back pain, contact Inspired Spine to find the right treatment.

Get started on your path to back pain relief. Call Inspired Spine at (952) 225-5266 or visit us online.