16 YOGAJOURNAL.COM YOUR 6-WEEK YOGA GUIDE TO BUILD STRENGTH
Timothy McCall, MD, author of Yoga
as Medicine. McCall points out that
muscle strength and other fitness mea-
sures map onto people differently. For
instance, he says, men often come to
yoga strong but stiff, whereas women
are frequently more flexible but lack-
ing in strength. “Yoga isn’t about meet-
ing one predetermined goal; it’s about
meeting you where you are and taking
you to a place of greater balance,” he
says. “Yoga can meet everyone’s needs,
but it’s going to take awhile.”FLEXIBILITY
Yoga’s stretching component not
only lengthens the muscles but also
puts joints through their full range of
motion. A greater range of motion
translates to greater economy and
ease of movement.
Remember that study from UC
Davis? The 10 newly minted yoga stu-
dents upped their flexibility by as
much as 188 percent in eight weeks of
doing yoga. The researchers attribut-
ed the monumental gain to the static
holds. Holding a yoga pose forces the
stretch into a muscle’s connective tis-
sue. That’s important because a mus-
cle can grow longer only if the web of
connective tissue that runs through
and around the muscle fibers allows
the stretch. (Warning: Though con-
nective tissue can safely stretch by 10
to 15 percent, the ligaments and ten-
dons start to tear at only 4 percent, so
make sure the stretch is in the belly
of the muscle, not the attachments.)
Again, balance is the key. Not all
yoga practitioners need more flexibili-
ty, says McCall. People with hypermo-
bile joints should tighten muscles
instead, by focusing on repetitive
movements and a short range of mo-
tion. “Über-flexible people need to
focus on strengthening the muscles
around the joint for stabilization,”
McCall notes, “not on stretching
themselves to the max.”PAIN RELIEF
Yoga can ease your pain. According to several studies, asana, meditation, or a combina-
tion of the two reduced pain in people with arthritis, fibromyalgia, carpal tunnel syn-
drome, and other chronic pain–producing conditions. When you are able to relieve your
pain via these natural methods, your mood improves, you’re more inclined to be active,
and you don’t need as much medication.