8 Tips to Reduce Hypothyroidism Joint Pain

“Yoga helps with balance, postural alignment, and increasing muscle strength — all of which take pressure off joints,” says Amy Eberhardt, MPH, a licensed massage therapist and integrative health specialist in private practicein New York City. “Yoga also helps with relaxation and stress reduction, which helps us let go of clenching and holding tension in the joints, and this can lead to less pain and more flexibility.”

Eberhardt points to a review that detailed research on how yoga can help relieve joint pain. The review noted that moving through yoga poses warms the muscles by increasing blood flow, whereas holding poses builds strength and balance by engaging the muscles. For these reasons, yoga can help protect against falls as well, according to the review.

If you’re new to yoga, know that you have all different types of the practice available to you. A faster-paced hatha or vinyasa class may not be a good fit for you, and if so, that’s okay. “There is a movement now in the yoga world toward adaptive, therapeutic, and restorative yoga, and many options are now available for people who are older or have medical conditions or are differently abled,” Eberhardt says.

If you decide to take a traditional yoga class and are nervous beforehand, talk to the teacher before class begins, Eberhardt says. “If you have an injury or joint pain, let the instructor know so they can adapt the poses for you and help protect you from injury. A good teacher will be receptive and encouraging and will be happy to offer adaptations and props to support your practice. A good yoga teacher will not push you to do something that doesn’t feel good and will be supportive if you choose to sit out a pose or need to rest.”

When in doubt, keep in mind that yoga is about self-compassion, not competition, Eberhardt adds. “Be kind and gentle with yourself, and remember that while you may stretch deeply, yoga doesn’t hurt. So if it hurts, it is not yoga.”