Don't Break Your Wrist, Do Yoga!
It happens every winter. You have a friend who appears healthy and in good physical condition, and yet she manages to slip on the ice and break her wrist. Ouch!
Not only is it frustrating for your friend, but it can be a bit scary for you as well. You can’t help but think “If it can happen to HER, then it could happen to ME!”.
How do you minimize the chance of falling and breaking your wrists? There are a few things you can do that are relatively simple, and very effective.
First, be smart! If it looks like ice, and you are wearing a smooth soled shoe, don’t do it! Get a good winter boot with a good tread,don’t just hope for the best. Invest in winter boots or shoes that are up for the task of getting you to your destination safely. Spend your money on your boots, not your cast!
Second, work on your balance, do yoga! One of my favorite things about yoga is the way the poses challenge your balance. I am not just talking about balancing on one foot either. Every time you bend forward or to the side, move your arms in different directions, or have your head in a different position than you normally move it in a day, you are challenging your balance. Thinking and reacting to new situations and doing the mental adjustments that are needed are the same adjustments you need to make quickly when you find yourself in a slippery situation. The more you have been practicing new challenges, the better chance your reaction speed will kick in when you most need it.
Third, strengthen your arm bones with yoga! One big reason that the wrist/arm bones break when you fall is because bone has weakened. Bone needs to be regularly strengthened in weight-bearing positions, like when you get down on your yoga mat to do cat and cow breathing, or a plank pose. You don’t need to do downward-facing dog to get a great bone-strengthening benefit. Osteopenia and osteoporosis can be addressed as well with many of these poses.
Yoga is not just for the young, flexible people we see on the covers of magazines. It is for all of us who want to stay strong, healthy and be proactive about our health. I love showing people who have limited experience with yoga how to get started and feel confident again.