Yoga or Pilates for Hypermobility?
I get asked a lot what is the best type of exercise for hypermobility. The thing is, there are so many factors that go into choosing the right movement for your body. Let’s break down things I like and dislike about yoga and pilates for hypermobility.
Yoga
Known for stretching, flexibility, mindfulness, and balance.
Doing something that is commonly associated with deep stretching may seem not useful or even harmful to those with a connective tissue disorder, but I find that a lot of people that have hypermobility are attracted to this type of movement. There are many different types of yoga, but I generally encourage my clients to limit "yin" yoga and to focus more on the mindfulness component and active movement. I have had clients who love and benefit from yoga, clients who need additional stability work to safely do yoga, and clients who stop this practice altogether due to pain. It’s so person specific! For me, I used to love doing Yoga with Adriene on YouTube. I found benefit in the consistency of movement and with building awareness in different poses. I also have had times where I did a yoga practice specific to my pain area when I was actively in pain which led to worsening of pain before I realized I was overstretching that. I limit this now but may take a class here and there to give my body a different stimulus once in a while.
Pilates
Known for stability building at low weights with lots of repetition.
Just like with yoga, I have had clients who significantly benefit from this practice, some who need additional stability sessions to supplement it, and those who had to stop the practice altogether due to pain. It can be good for people with limited strength since a large focus is working with your own body weight, but I have found that it is really easy to overuse muscles when we do too many reps which is common in pilates. If you choose to do pilates, breathwork is so important, as we often hold our breath to successfully make it through the amount of reps expected. I have less personal experience with pilates, but am always eager to learn about different ways to support my body. Plus, I've heard good things about using reformers due to their adjustability.
Keep in mind, yoga and pilates by themselves are not enough to meet all exercise recommendations. Building true strength involves a lower repetition load at a higher weight. If we don’t add enough load, we can’t build muscle mass required for bone health. There are still important tools that can be learned in these practices that may not be the focus in traditional strength training either. A variety of movement practices throughout our life is ideal!
Yoga with Adriene
My go-to channel whenever I want to do a bit of yoga myself, Adriene makes it easy to follow along both simple and complex movements.
Jelliebend
With warmer weather on the way, I’m already finding myself doing a lot more work around the house and outside. Days that I need a little extra support I spend hours with my Jelliebend on! If compression works for you, pick one up and save 10% with my code JENNA10.
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This blog is written based on personal experience and is not medical advice. Always ask your doctor for individual concerns and support.