Yoga, a blend of physical exercise and mental relaxation or meditation techniques, dates back more than 5,000 years to ancient India. Today, people around the world practice any of more than 100 different styles of yoga on a regular basis. Among them are many people with arthritis, who find yoga is easy on their joints, relieves their symptoms and promotes relaxation.

The word yoga comes from Sanskrit (an Indian language) words meaning “to join” or “yoke together,” a nod to the idea that your mind and body are linked when practicing it. Yoga typically involves moving through a series of physical poses, often going from one to another in a flowing motion, as well as breathing and relaxation techniques. According to the American Yoga Association, this combination of exercise, breathing and meditation promotes better physical and mental health.

Yoga and Arthritis

Yoga is ideal for people with arthritis, says Sharon Kolasinski, MD, a professor of clinical medicine and rheumatology at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, because it offers a form of daily physical activity but poses little risk of injury to delicate joints. “Yoga is definitely one option for patients with arthritis, but it also has benefits in the mind/body area. Yoga helps you relax and helps with stress reduction,” says Dr. Kolasinski.

Scientists are just beginning to examine yoga’s physical and mental benefits. A number of recent studies, including some conducted by Dr. Kolasinski, show that regular yoga practice can reduce pain and improve function in people with arthritis. With its gentle stretches and weight-bearing resistance moves, yoga can help build muscle strength and improve balance and posture.

If you have arthritis, it’s important to find a yoga instructor who understands your physical limitations and can modify poses for you if necessary. “Your instructor should know you have arthritis, and help you with using props, or if you need assistance with a block, pillow or strap” to help you move into the various poses, Dr. Kolasinski notes. “You should not overdo it, and always be mindful of the fact that you have arthritis.”

Most people practice yoga in a class setting, either at a gym, community center or yoga studio, led by a trained instructor. However, you can practice yoga at home on your own, using a DVD, book, tape or printed pose instructions. It’s important to wear flexible, comfortable clothing that allows you to move into the various poses with ease. There’s no special footwear required – most people practice yoga barefoot.
 

Choosing a Type of Yoga

Finding the right form of yoga for you, a setting where you feel comfortable, an instructor that can modify poses to your needs, or a program that emphasizes gentle, easy motions, can make yoga so enjoyable that you won’t mind exercising, says Dr. Kolasinki. “No study has delineated how much yoga is too much and how much is too little, but I recommend to all my patients that they exercise in some form every day, and you can certainly do yoga every day,” she adds.

Which type of yoga is best for you? Some forms may be too strenuous, or involve advanced movements that would be difficult for someone with arthritis. In general, look for those that involve gentle stretching and relaxed breathing techniques are great for easing arthritis symptoms, improving function and reducing pain.

A general term for most of the common forms of yoga practiced in the U.S. is hatha yoga, which involves physical poses and breathing techniques. Within hatha are many forms of yoga, so here’s an overview of types you may encounter.

Gentle Yoga: Best Bets

One of the first methods of yoga practiced in the United States, Iyengar emphasizes body alignment, and includes the use of supports or props. Recommended by experts for people with arthritis, Iyengar yoga involves precise methods and demonstrations by the instructor, modifications for people with physical limitations, and an emphasis on poses rather than abstract concepts.

Created by Iyengar disciple John Friend, Anusara emphasizes the spiritual aspects of yoga and includes imagination techniques like “opening the heart” and image-based exercises.

Created in the 1960s by an Indian yoga instructor at his school in Stockbridge, Mass., Kripalu is a gentle style emphasizing meditation, poses and understanding the body. It focuses less on body alignment poses, which makes it appropriate for people with arthritis or beginners.

Emphasizing coordinated breathing and movement, Viniyoga is typically practiced on your own with a private instructor. It may be appropriate for someone with arthritis.
 

A combination of classical hatha yoga poses and breathing with a therapeutic emphasis on psychology and clarification of physical and mental feedback, Phoenix Rising may be appropriate for someone with arthritis. This recently developed style of yoga is often practiced with a private instructor.

Strenuous Yoga: Best to Avoid

Astanga yoga involves continuous movement from one pose to another in an often strenuous manner. It may not be appropriate for someone with arthritis or a beginner.

Also known as hot yoga because it’s conducted in studios that are heated to 105 or 110 degrees Fahrenheit, Bikram is very popular in the United States. Its founder, Bikram Choudhury, claims that the heat promotes better stretching, lowers the chance of injury, and reduces stress and tension. However, it may not be a good choice for someone with arthritis.

Often advertised as “yoga for abs or butt” or power yoga, Body Pump combines yoga poses with other types of exercise to build muscle strength and burn calories. It may not be advisable for people with arthritis or beginners to practice this form, due to its strenuous nature.

Body Balance is a new style that includes various postures with an in-depth exploration of how yoga affects anatomy and its therapeutic benefits.

Seeking Enlightenment? Try These Yoga Forms

Integral and Sivananda, gentle practices that involve, poses, breathing, chanting and meditation, may be more appropriate for people seeking a spiritual experience rather than a form of physical exercise.

Although it’s a gentle form, Ananda yoga focuses on directing one’s internal energy through psychological techniques like repeating affirmations and long meditation sessions. It may be difficult for someone with arthritis to holding a pose as long as required.

Also considered esoteric and focused on awakening spiritual energy, Kundalini yoga involves not only physical poses but intense breathing methods that may make it inappropriate for someone with arthritis.