Post-Injury Yoga: 5 Ways to Keep Your Rehabilitation On Track

The months after an injury can be a time of chaos and frustration. This is especially true for many people who suffer from back pain, chronic pain, or orthopedic injuries that can lead to a variety of debilitating issues that can last long after physical therapy ends. After an injury, physical activity can be painful and you may want to avoid it, especially if you are unable to walk. However, getting regular physical activity is important for your mental health and long-term recovery. Physical activity can improve your mood, strengthen your muscles, and help you to regain mobility. It can also improve your range of motion, which will help you to avoid stiffness and pain that can limit your ability to move.

So you’ve torn your meniscus, messed up your knee, or have a sprained ankle. Instead of spending months and even years healing, take advantage of the latest research and therapy techniques to keep you progressing, and stay on track with your health goals.

If you’re an active person, you know how great it feels to regularly challenge your body in some way. For some, it’s running, for others, it’s yoga, and for a select few, it’s both. But if either activity has been part of your life for many years, you may have noticed a change in your body with the onset of injury. Whether you’re dealing with a sprained ankle, a sports-related injury, or simply some stiff muscles from overuse, it can sometimes be difficult to make the switch from active to sedentary.. Read more about rehabilitation yoga training and let us know what you think.

So you’ve suffered a serious injury. You’ve made it through the worst of it; you’re no longer in a cast or on crutches, but your physiotherapist has advised you to begin exercising. Herein is the issue.

It may be tough to bring your body back into condition for exercise after you have been disabled for a long period. It’s not always possible to go for a run; sometimes you can’t even take a single step without agony or suffering, so what do you do?

This is when yoga comes into play.

I was unable to walk correctly after injuring my left knee, and I was prohibited from engaging in any kind of impact activity, which left me bored and sad. My physio recommended that I try yoga, and now, four years later, I have a thriving daily practice, am a newly certified yoga teacher, and my knee is strong and flexible once again, even though it will never fully recover. So, from one injury-prone individual to another, this is my advise to you!

1. Begin small.

It’s the only option, to be honest. Even if it’s only a five-minute drill a few times a week, you have to start somewhere. The objective at this point is to begin gradually moving your body and developing a range of motion. If you’re new to yoga, contact your physiotherapist for recommendations or look for a simple beginners yoga sequence on YouTube.

Because you don’t want to overburden your body, I suggest taking shorter flows or courses. The objective is to create range of motion and progressively build strength in the muscles around the damaged region. If you’re doing five to ten minutes of practice per day, strive to do it every day if you can. Building a regular yoga practice into your day can benefit both your body and mind since it will provide structure, which is easy to lose while you’re recovering from an injury.

2. Create a sequence for yourself and follow it.

After a few weeks, you’ll realize that you’re becoming a bit stronger and that some postures feel great and stretch you in the perfect places. Make a note of the poses that improved your injury every time you perform a flow.

Start performing tasks on your own after you have five or six that you are comfortable with. Whether you’re concerned, bring your list to your next physiotherapy or doctor’s visit to see if any of the items are harmful. Then create a five- or six-posture sequence that makes you feel wonderful. As you progress, not only will your body begin to recover, but you will also begin to feel a lot more optimistic!

3. Set a Goal for Yourself

Choose a position that seems doable but also a little difficult, and make it your practice goal to complete it. Because I wanted to learn to invert and not put too much strain on my knees, I chose a tripod headstand as my objective.

It doesn’t have to be as difficult as this; it may be as easy as Triangle or even a perfect Down Dog, but choose anything that you want to accomplish. When you’re injured and don’t feel like you’re progressing, it’s easy to give up on your practice because you don’t feel like you’re going anywhere; by concentrating in this manner, you’re encouraging yourself to keep practicing until you reach that position.

4. Take a lot of photos

They don’t have to be as beautiful as the Instagram yoga pictures. You don’t have to show them to anybody, but it’s a good idea to photograph them so you can see how far you’ve progressed. Looking at my first ever Crow posture and comparing it to how I now practice the pose still motivates me.

Rather than comparing yourself to some of the Instagram yoga queens, strive to go a bit farther than you did the day before. Take a photograph of yourself in your favorite posture, even if you don’t feel like it, so that if you have a rough day with your injury, you can look at your pictures and realize how far you’ve come.

5. Never Give Up

Finally, please don’t quit up. This is the most essential piece of advise I can offer. You WILL make it.

So what if it takes a week or a month for you to notice results? What important is that you are still progressing. I understand that you will have difficult days—days when you can’t walk or raise a dish, days when you feel like you’ve gone back to square one—but I assure you, you haven’t.

Injury rehabilitation, like yoga, is based on repetition and persistence. Keep going, and you’ll be back to being the strong, healthy, and happy person you once were, and you may even learn something in the process!

Whether you are in the midst of healing from a serious injury or the loss of a loved one, Yoga can help you feel better by giving your body the physical and mental flexibility it needs to recover. The benefits of regular Yoga practice can be felt right away, and they can last as long as you continue to practice.. Read more about yoga poses for two and let us know what you think.

Related Tags

This article broadly covered the following related topics:

  • hatha yoga poses
  • restorative yoga
  • yoga poses for two
  • yoga for injury rehabilitation
  • rehabilitation yoga