Yoga is a well established stretching exercise that is used to relieve all manner of problems or help you to strengthen your muscles and flexibility. Yoga is used in a range of things, from couples' therapy, to pregnancy and to help fix joint pain. The two foundations of this kind of exercise are the stretches themselves and the breathing technique which is intended to spread oxygen around the body and replenish muscles and tissues. Yoga is beneficial for anyone with joint pain, though particularly the aged because it is gentle. For this reason, it is also useful for anyone who has been out of shape for a long time or if you've been recovering from surgery.
Yoga works well as an accompaniment for your control over joint pain for a number of reasons. The slow movements are easy on the joints while still helping to do things like improve circulation and flexibility. There are a number of positions and stretches that are done in yoga and you can choose a set to fit your specific needs or you can do the whole range so that you can work on joints that aren't hurting yet in order to prevent them from hurting in the first place. Yoga also works well because it forces you to correct your posture; an incorrect posture aggravates joint pain and causes new pains to boot.
Another benefit of yoga is improved blood circulation. Keeping the joints moving helps the blood to move better through the body which reduces inflammation and can help to reduce stiffness and pain. Stiffness in the joints makes this form pain worse since it's hard to exercise or do anything with it, causing still more stiffness and pain. Yoga allows you to loosen up and in that way help to get rid of the pain.
A final benefit is not necessarily tied to joint pain, but it can help relieve this problem. Yoga can lower blood pressure, help you to lose weight, and relieves stress; all of which can improve joint pain because you won't be carrying amount as much weight or stress which will help your joints feel better. Yoga is also a fun social activity and having a chance to visit with other people and socialize can also help you to cut down on your stress and feel better.
If you are suffering from joint pain and you want to do some exercising as well as do things like painkillers or massages, then you should try yoga. It's a great way to improve your flexibility, ease joint pain, and get out to do some exercises for your body and your mind. You can find many yoga classes at places such as your local health club, some gyms, or you can purchase DVDs to do the stretches at home if you prefer to do them at home until you feel more comfortable with the effort. Whatever you decide to do, you should give yoga try for joint pain relief and to help your entire body strengthen itself.