Yoga for clumsy but active person with chronic pain

September 27, 2013 8:32 PM

I'm looking for a beginning yoga course (web-based or dvd) for myself. I have chronic pain due to a back injury, and I want to improve my flexibility and balance. I don't know anything about yoga. Please help!

This question in the archives has some suggestions that look like they could apply to my situation. I don't know enough to evaluate them, or know whether any would work for me. And I thought there might have been new ones out there since 2009.

I do one hour of cardio every other day as a way to lessen my pain. I had hoped to get the go-ahead to resume strength training this month after a seven year break. Instead, my doctors said to do yoga.

I found ExRx.net in the archives. It is a very useful reference but it doesn't cover yoga. Is there a resource like that for yoga?

I know that it would probably be better to take a class but I am not in the position to do so right now.

posted by vincele to Health & Fitness (9 answers total)

I really like A Morning Cup of Yoga if you are a true beginner. It is really more stretching than anything else, but has some yoga elements. I use it when I am really deconditioned. Also, it comes with a CD, not a DVD...hope it still helps!
posted by dovesandstones at 8:37 PM on September 27, 2013 [1 favorite]

Yoga for Inflexible People isn't very flashy, but it's extremely customizable with clear visuals and instructions. As a complete beginner myself, I totally recommend it.
posted by augustimagination at 8:58 PM on September 27, 2013 [2 favorites]

I used Yoga for Beginners back when I had a lot of issues with fibromyalgia and back pain. It's slow-moving (enough time to pause it as you're learning), with a focus on correct posture and balance, and with a lot of instruction on customizing poses to your comfort level.
posted by Lot's ex-girlfriend at 11:57 PM on September 27, 2013 [1 favorite]

Any beginner DVD would be a good place to start. If you can wait till you're in a position to take a course, I'd do that, though. With any sort of chronic pain you're probably going to need to NOT do a few poses, or modify others.

If that really isn't going to happen, I'd at least find a popular yoga forum online and pose a question about modifications you should make due to your pain.
posted by backwards guitar at 2:22 AM on September 28, 2013 [2 favorites]

I highly recommend the Yoga Studio app, which is very easy to use and offers plenty of beginner poses. It's really the perfect yoga app.
posted by okay-quiet-time at 6:56 AM on September 28, 2013 [1 favorite]

I like Do Yoga With Me. A lot of free videos for people of all levels.
posted by Anonymous at 7:19 AM on September 28, 2013

I've been working with the Yoga for Regular Guys (now called DDP Yoga...I use the book, but it is apparently now only available in video) program for a few months now, after a hip injury left me walking with a cane and unable to stand up or sit down without excruciating pain. I really love it. The exercises are great--a mix of yoga positions and calisthenics--very strengthening and limbering, with suggestions for easier versions, and a focus on not pushing yourself to the point of pain. Within a couple of weeks, my cane was gone. There are a lot of balance exercises as well (which make me laugh because I'm always on the verge of falling over, but then that's the point of doing the exercises). There are a limited number of positions, and they have a pretty well-defined flow, so that once you learn the basics you don't have to keep referring to the book/video.

I feel like I should offer a caveat here: I can't speak for the tone of the videos, but the book is full of sexist "yoga babe" tripe that is just ridiculous and offensive. I skip past all that because the exercises have worked so well, but I can totally see someone dropping the program because of the tone.
posted by mittens at 9:45 AM on September 28, 2013 [1 favorite]

Peggy Cappy has a series of yoga dvds, including one called Back Care Basics. A man in my yoga class with back problems swears by her--he does the dvd routine between our regular classes. She focuses on easing pain/gentle yoga. There are YouTube intros for some of the videos so you can see if her style matches yours.
posted by Nosey Mrs. Rat at 7:28 PM on September 28, 2013 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Thank you all for these very helpful answers. Is there any particular yoga forum that I should check out?
posted by vincele at 9:21 AM on September 29, 2013 [1 favorite]