“The Heart and Stroke
Foundation recommends
yoga — even just
5-10
minutes a
day — to promote
relaxation and reduce
stress.”
WELLNESS WORKOUT
POSE TO TRY:
EAGLE
It creates strength in
the muscles to
support the joints,
and helps with
flexibility.HELP FLEXIBILITY & JOINTS
A 2011 study published in theArchives of Geron-
tology and Geriatrics suggests that older women
who practise yoga may experience improved
range of motion when performing everyday tasks.
That means these women can maintain their
independence longer, since f lexibility makes it
easier to do routine things such as cleaning, bath-
ing and cooking.
Taking up yoga may also help to prevent and
relieve symptoms of arthritis, which the Arthritis
Society pinpoints as the main cause of disability
among Canadians. The most common form is
osteoarthritis, a result of the deterioration of the
cartilage that protects joints. While age is a big
risk factor, yoga may help reduce symptoms. “The
things that seem to prevent [osteoarthritis] are
keeping your weight down, having good muscle
tone and being f lexible,” says Dr. John Esdaile, sci-
entific research director of the Arthritis Research
Centre of Canada, based in Vancouver. “Yoga is
good for muscles and f lexibility.”
Vancouver-based yoga instructor Kim Scar-
row, 28, was diagnosed with a form of arthritis at
just 19 years of age, and says the postures and
breathing techniques help her cope. “People
become depressed because of chronic pain, but
yoga helps me through the psychological effects
that chronic pain creates.”SOOTHE BACK PAIN
About 80 percent of Canadians will suffer back
pain at some point in their lives, according to The
Canadian Spine Society, and it can be debilitating.
But as you age, backaches may become even more
dangerous. “Evidence suggests that chronic back
pain is linked to a higher risk of falling in the
elderly,” says Dr. Maziar Badii, a spine rheumatolo-
gist based in Vancouver.
Performing yoga postures can help lower your
risk of back problems by strengthening core mus-
cles, “which research shows will lessen back pain
or make it go away,” says Dr. Esdaile. Strong core
muscles support the back and alleviate strain on
the muscles and spine.
Participating in a yoga class may even be more
effective for relieving back pain than doing some
other forms of stretching, according to 2011
research published in the Archives of Internal
Medicine. The study—probably the largest-ever
yoga trial conducted in the U.S.—revealed that
people who participated in yoga classes reported
better back function and less back pain than those
who did stretching exercises using instructions
from a self-help book.POSE TO TRY: COBRA
This back bend strengthens muscles
and creates flexibility in the spine. But
start gently and work your way up in
terms of how far you bend.IS
TO
C
K
best health AUGUST | SEPTEMBER 2019 53