I got another new patient recently who hurt herself during a yoga class. She was new to yoga, and was excited about working toward her goals of getting stronger and more flexible, and getting to know her body better. She was taking classes 1-2 times per week from a skilled teacher, but it had been quite some time since she had worked her body any harder than a brisk walk around the neighborhood Unfortunately, within the first month of yoga she had hurt herself, and was in to see me because her left hamstring was so painful she could no longer practice comfortably.
What went wrong?
Well, I’ve seen it many times. Our early enthusiasm for a new venture causes us to overdo it. We want to keep up with the class, and make our bodies do things they are not yet prepared for. We ignore the signals that our body is sending, and in short time, an old injury that had been latent for years begins to be painful again.
So, what’s the best way to safely begin a new physical activity in our pursuit of a more healthy and balanced lifestyle?
Researchers that have looked into this topic suggest that we progress very slowly, putting out only 50%-75% effort for the first 1-3 months. In other words, don’t push it.
Not very surprising, I know, but I think you’ll find the reason why they say this to be very interesting.
Researchers found that during the first 1-3 months of training, our body is figuring out the best way to handle the new stresses and strains it is experiencing. The body wants to make every task easy, and the quickest way to do this is by adapting not the muscles, but the nervous system. The nervous system is actually learning to fire in more and more precise ways to make the task easier and easier. This creates improvements not in strength, but in our coordination. And here’s the good news: the stimulus required to improve coordination is minimal. This is how I explained it to my son who’s beginning to take up weight training. “When you’re starting a new physical activity, just shake hands with it. Not a limp handshake and not an overly firm one. Just enough to get a good feel for it.”
Take note how different this is from the stimulus required to gain strength. (See: “Strength and the Yoga Body” at physicaltherapyeugene.com) Researchers say that it takes 2-3 months to make true strength gains, and the intensity of the training sessions has to be from 80%-100% effort.
OK. So, if you’re new to yoga (or running, or weight-lifting, or Cross-fit, or whatever), or returning after years away, give yourself some latitude. Put forth only minimal effort. Go through the motions, but don’t push it. Knowing all the while that your nervous system is continually adapting, and becoming more efficient at the task. When you look around and see everyone else sweating and working hard, feel confident in the fact that your body doesn’t need that sort of challenge yet. At the end of the first month, if your body is feeling well, then begin slowly to push your limits. And by three months you’ll be one of the folks pushing your body to its limits. You can thank your nervous system when the activity starts to get a little easier. And by training gently, you’ll be able to use better form. This, in turn, helps prevent injuries down the road. Trust me, it’s a lot easier to get to that point if you haven’t injured yourself in the first month by being overzealous.
