Yoga for A S

Here are three top tips for keeping your training routine sustainable with inflammatory arthritis—while minimizing the risk of flares!

1️⃣ Keep Sessions Short: If you’re training for over an hour, consider reducing the duration. Start with shorter sessions, then gradually build up. You can even break them up throughout the day—like three 10-minute sessions instead of one 30-minute workout. This gives you the same training stimulus but spreads out the intensity, making it gentler on your body.

2️⃣ Cool Down and Relax Post-Workout: Spend 5-10 minutes after each session to calm your body. Try slow, controlled breathing, yoga nidra, or gentle stretching. While exercise is a healthy stress, cooling down helps shift your body out of fight-or-flight mode, reducing the risk of an immune flare-up.

3️⃣ Adjust Intensity as Needed: Progress is the goal, but on some days, you may need to lift lighter weights. If you’re not feeling 100%, it’s okay to dial it down. Remember, consistency matters, and the best ability is availability!

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Try these knee- and hip-friendly variations of the pigeon pose. Learn more at yogaforas.com

At Yoga for AS, we combine movement and meditation to help you feel at ease in your body! A study in Cerebral Cortex showed that yoga can actually double pain tolerance by increasing gray matter in the brain’s insula, which is key in managing discomfort. This boost in resilience means that yoga and meditation don’t just relax you—they help you handle both physical and mental challenges.

Exercising with inflammatory arthritis? It’s not all about heavier weights. 💪 ➡️ Instead, think about slowing down the tempo, increasing range of motion, or adding reps. Avoid the trap of pushing too hard, too soon. For many with arthritis, rushing to lift heavier weights can lead to flares. Instead: ✅ Build intensity gradually to protect your joints. Why this approach works:By focusing on controlled progressions, you’ll build the strength needed to lift heavier weights safely down the line. Takeaway: Making small adjustments keeps workouts accessible and sustainable—meaning less pain, more progress!

Make exercise work for you! One of the reasons people may go into a flare when weight training with arthritis is because the exercises are performed poorly, in a way that is not engaging the muscles very much but instead loading the joints. Here is one strategy which can help improve engagement of muscles and decrease the likelihood of causing of flare.

During an acute flare of sacroiliitis, focus on symmetrical exercises to avoid straining the joint. This doesn’t mean avoiding asymmetrical exercises entirely—your SI joint is strong and won’t “break.” Once inflammation is low, incorporate asymmetrical exercises to build stability. In the short term, symmetrical exercises help you stay active without worsening your pain. This advice comes from my experience with many people managing sacroiliitis.

Ankylosing spondylitis, or axial spondyloarthritis, is commonly perceived as a condition that primarily affects the spine.However, many individuals experience more pronounced symptoms in other areas, such as the Achilles tendon (Achilles tendinitis). At Yoga for AS, we truly comprehend this and ensure that our courses and classes are tailored to address specific areas of concern. To learn more, please visit yogaforas.com

Training with arthritis isn’t always a straight path, but it’s all about keeping that upward trend. 📈 The key is to listen to your body and adapt day-to-day, week-to-week. Avoid the “boom and bust” cycle—some days, you won’t lift as heavy or push as hard, and that’s perfectly okay.Remember, our ego might push us to always do more, but real progress takes patience. We often overestimate what we can achieve in 6 months and underestimate what’s possible in 10 years.I’ve learned this firsthand with my own journey managing ankylosing spondylitis. It hasn’t always been smooth, but after a decade, I’m stronger and more flexible than ever. Embrace the journey, even when it’s not perfect. 💪

Learn how to practice yoga which is catered for all of the presentations of AS/ axSpA so no matter what… you can build and develop a safe practice in a supportive community. Learn more at yogaforas.com

At Yoga for AS, we believe it’s important to show people how to make yoga work for them, even in unconventional ways. For example, using a bed can provide a softer, more comfortable surface, making it easier to practice poses without the challenge of getting up and down from the floor. While a lunge might be more challenging to do on a bed, it gives you an idea of how adaptable yoga can be. Go to yogaforas.com to learn more.

3 Things I Wish I Knew About Strength Training with Ankylosing Spondylitis:

1. Utilise Concentric Training: Focus on the phase where muscles shorten as they contract, like the push in a prowler sled push. It’s easier on the joints and lets you move more weight safely.

2. There’s a Gentle Variation for Every Exercise: Almost any movement can be modified to reduce strain on your body, making it safer for your joints.

3. Make Light Weights Feel Heavy: Slow down your tempo, increase reps, or focus on muscle tension to make lighter weights more challenging, building strength without overloading your joints.

There’s plenty more points, but these are just 3 to start with!

Here are a few examples of how to perform a forward bend (spinal flexion) to stretch the sides of the back, which can also help decompress the spine in some cases. For more information on maintaining a healthy back through strength, flexibility training, and yoga, visit yogaforas.com

Exercising with ankylosing spondylitis and axial spondyloarthritis can often feel like navigating a minefield. At Yoga For AS, we believe it's crucial to work with your body, not against it. Many of us are used to pushing ourselves as far as possible, thinking that more effort is always better. However, this is not a sprint. Sustainable movement is key, and it’s important to progress gradually over time. By slowing down, we can ultimately move forward more effectively.

This is a simple example of how building strength doesn’t have to put extra pressure on your joints if you live with inflammatory arthritis. There are countless exercise variations that can provide the same benefits without stressing your joints.Adapt your workouts to fit your needs and reduce the risk of triggering a flare-up from exercise! Come to Jamie strength class for free next Monday just follow the link here: https://goteamup.com/p/4547197-yoga-for-as/e/71734986-strength-and-flexibility-for-as-axspa-17/

The concept of pacing is applied to everything we do at Yoga for AS. Being sustainable with our yoga practice and ensuring we are working with our bodies and not against it. To learn more, head on over to yogaforas.com

Here is an example of how we embody safe practice in Yoga for AS. Many individuals who seek out Yoga for AS have experienced the frustrating reality of waiting for years to receive a proper diagnosis. They have endured countless attempts to engage in physical activity, often risking further pain and triggering flare-ups in the process. Additionally, some have tried traditional yoga but discovered it to be incompatible with their unique needs. However, at yogaforas.com, you will discover a modified yoga approach specifically tailored to your condition. These customized practices are designed to help you transition from a sedentary lifestyle to safely and consistently engage in beneficial yoga routines, adapted to accommodate your AS/axSpA condition.

What isn’t talked about enough is that an excessive curvature in the upper spine can have a relationship to the lower portion of the spine. This occurs as the natural curvature of the lumbar spine may decrease and become flatter. One way to promote a healthier lower spine is by focusing on strengthening and stretching the hip flexors. While not the sole solution, this is a vital component of an overarching strategy to encourage a normal lumbar curve. To learn more, head to yogaforas.com

Simplify to Succeed

Every exercise can be adapted.Many avoid strength training, thinking it only requires heavy weights.

A deadlift for example is just a hinge movement.

Start with simple, gentle versions and progress over time.Simplifying builds confidence and stability, leading to greater progress.

Slowing down can speed up your success! Try a strength class tonight for free!

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For me, extreme ownership wasn’t about blaming myself or trying to “fix” everything. It was more about recognizing that while you can’t control everything, you can choose to accept responsibility and take ownership of your actions. This mindset is what really helped me, in the long term, reclaim and improve my health while living with axial spondyloarthritis. What are your thoughts?