Yoga videos for bad neck?

LovingLife_Erin
LovingLife_Erin Posts: 328 Member
edited November 15 in Fitness and Exercise
I would love to be able to do some sort of yoga once a week or so, as it seems it is a good way to stretch, work on flexibility, and strength. I do not want to have to go to a paid class and was hoping to find some videos to use at home.

The issue is that I have a bad cervical spine (neck) with nerve damage down my left arm. This makes it very painful (in a bad way) to do anything where I'm leaning on my arms. I can't do pushups, planks, or anything like that because of this. I've tried some videos and found that a lot of the poses rely on you leaning on your arms, or doing other things that might hurt my neck. If I leave these poses out, I find that I'm just sitting around for half of the video, which is a bit pointless.

Does anyone know of any videos that might have a programme for me to follow that might not rely on those sorts of poses? Or even know of any good websites that might have more information for me?

Or is yoga just simply not for me?

Thanks in advance! :)

Replies

  • LovingLife_Erin
    LovingLife_Erin Posts: 328 Member
    I'd also like to add that I'm not looking for videos that simply address a bad neck as so far my searches have all just come up with those, and they usually are not appropriate for me, and what I'm looking for.
  • futuremanda
    futuremanda Posts: 816 Member
    You can try searching for "standing yoga". Or "chair yoga". Alternatively, you can put together your own routines. A good place to start might be Yoga with Adriene's foundations videos. She makes videos that focus on one pose. You could work on the details of poses that you CAN do, and string together foundation videos that work for you. And in time, you'd be able to get on the mat alone and just work on poses you like, that you can do, that you feel like doing that day.

    I swear she has one where you are standing the whole time but I can't find it.

    I don't think you have to give up on yoga if it appeals to you. You just might have a harder time finding what works, and have to deal with a bit more on your own while you're figuring it out. Like, find some go-to poses, try a video, and if they start doing something you can't do, do your go-to pose instead.

    Hopefully someone else has some actual standing or chair videos to recommend!
  • LovingLife_Erin
    LovingLife_Erin Posts: 328 Member
    Thank you! That is helpful. I'll admit that I didn't realise there was just standing yoga, so I'll have a look and see what I can find. I'll check out those videos as they might be really helpful. :)
  • KarenJanine
    KarenJanine Posts: 3,497 Member
    Try http://www.doyogawithme.com/ there is a video on there for a full-body seated Hatha which may be appropriate, as well as many others you can try.

    I know you don't want to attend a class, but if you can find a physiotherapist with an interest in yoga, he/she may be able to advise specifically on some routines that may help you and/or be safe for you to practice. It may only require a couple of sessions to get you going, but with injuries it's always worth investing in professional assistance to prevent further injuy.
  • LovelyIvy466
    LovelyIvy466 Posts: 387 Member
    If you go to YouTube,you can find a lot of short yoga videos that focus on specific body parts. I haven't practiced in a few months and wanted some gentle yoga videos to help regain flexibility, so I spent some time and did a little digging when I started.

    My searches were basically "yoga shoulders", "yoga hips" and "yoga hamstrings". I found five or six body part specific clips that have been tremendously useful. Off the top of my head, I think only one has any down dogs or standing of any kind.

    The best source for me was videos from Ekhart yoga. The instructor is named Esther Ekhart. Her videos are well produced, her instructions are clear, and get videos have been really helpful! I also found a few good ones on yoga by Candace.
  • sofaking6
    sofaking6 Posts: 4,589 Member
    There's a woman named Peggy Cappy who has a few really light yoga videos - ie "Yoga For The Rest Of Us" and "Back Care Basics". Maybe Google her and see if one of them sounds right.
  • urloved33
    urloved33 Posts: 3,323 Member
    I like the youtube eckart yoga videos. whatever does not work for you...don't do.
  • LovingLife_Erin
    LovingLife_Erin Posts: 328 Member
    Thank you all so much for your suggestions! I'll have a look at them and see what works for me. I just didn't know where to start and just kept finding stuff that wouldn't work for me. I'm looking forward to trying out some of the stuff you all mentioned.
  • yoginimary
    yoginimary Posts: 6,788 Member
    You really should go to a yoga class, with a very competent teacher, if you want to be safe.
  • LovingLife_Erin
    LovingLife_Erin Posts: 328 Member
    Yes... Ideally it would be best to go to a class, however I don't really want to spend the money to go, and there aren't many classes that I could get to easily where I live that run at times when I could go. I'd also like to try it out first to see if it is something that would work for me before I could ever justify paying money, and travelling to a class that would be at a good time for me (I'm in school at the moment and so we are on one income, and I have no car).

    If I try it and find that I really enjoy it, and decide that I want to get really into it, then I think it would definitely be worth it to go and get proper instruction at a class.
  • Kiku10
    Kiku10 Posts: 66 Member
    My doctor recommended Esmonde classical stretch dvds. Really great ex dancer with pain and injuries does yoga and pilates inspired moves. A lot of it is done standing too. She was on PBS for a long time.
    Her daughter does Essentrics but it's too much for me.
  • Kiku10
    Kiku10 Posts: 66 Member
    Peggy Cappy, too!
  • LovingLife_Erin
    LovingLife_Erin Posts: 328 Member
    Thank you @Kiku10. :)
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    I knew there was at least one of these....the first one has a video clip

    https://www.totalfitnessdvds.com/Yoga-To-The-Rescue-Neck-And-Shoulders-DVD-p/801.htm

    Lots more on Amazon
    http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1/189-2036333-2335654?url=search-alias=movies-tv&field-keywords=neck+pain&rh=n:2625373011,k:neck+pain
  • jenny004mfp
    jenny004mfp Posts: 3 Member
    What Esmonde stretching exercises most helpful? Which series of stretching exercises did you do first? Core? Arm? Or the order doesn't matter?
  • Kiku10
    Kiku10 Posts: 66 Member
    I think I took Classical Stretch Back Pain Relief and Prevention. There are others, check on Amazon and read the helpful reviews. I'd get a short, cheaper one like that one to see if you like it before ordering a season.
    Also, check your local library dvd section...my library had her stuff.
    The 30 min workouts she does are supposed to be good.
    I'd stay away from core or pilates stuff until your neck is better ...some of that just loads your neck, as does the yoga where you are on tour back with your spine bent. Go slow and don't bend into anything that strains your neck too much.
    Peggy Cappy would be good yoga, if you want, and she usually warns you if it's strenous. Any of her basic or intro stuff.
  • barryplumber
    barryplumber Posts: 401 Member
    With all the things you mentioned you have wrong,I sure hope you have someone there when doing your yoga because doing it wrong can cause unwanted pressure on your spine
  • Kiku10
    Kiku10 Posts: 66 Member
    barryplumber wrote: »
    With all the things you mentioned you have wrong,I sure hope you have someone there when doing your yoga because doing it wrong can cause unwanted pressure on your spine

    This is true.
  • LovingLife_Erin
    LovingLife_Erin Posts: 328 Member
    Sadly, my neck will never be better. Several years after injuring it, it is the best it will ever be and I know it's actually likely to decline as I get older. I have no issues with my lower back, and so anything that puts pressure on that would be no problem, and anything that puts pressure on my neck at all, I simply would not do. With my neck, I'd rather be more cautious as it is rather important!

    Thanks for your help everyone... I appreciate it. :)
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