Oct 28, 2008 2:40 pm US/Eastern
Online Yoga Videos Can Pose Injury Risk
BOSTON (WBZ) ―
For some people, the internet has become an exercise studio. Yoga instructional videos are
popping up everywhere online, but that's creating a new problem. More yoga users are getting hurt at home.
Some videos show basic breathing and meditation, others show more advanced positions. Those videos have some health professionals concerned about the online clips.
"I would say some of the most common injuries that we're seeing secondary to yoga include wrist injuries, shoulder injuries and also low back injuries," said Dr. Bill Stetson of the
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.
Dr. Stetson says there are some excellent beginner videos, but he's alarmed by ones that demonstrate advanced moves like headstands. "If you try to do this at home, alone, you could really suffer a very, very severe sprain of your neck."
You could also strain muscles trying a back bend at home, Stetson said, or worse, suffer a herniated disk.
Terri Kennedy is chair of the board of the
Yoga Alliance, which sets voluntary standards for the industry. She posts her own videos on the web, but warns that unless you're advanced in your practice, you should never try more difficult positions unsupervised.
"If you're doing something slightly off, the teacher can adjust you," Kennedy said. "Your alignment that might be off just a bit if you're watching an online video can cause an injury."
No certification or specific training is required to teach yoga, although the alliance strongly advocates training and registers instructors after a minimum of 200 hours of approved schooling.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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