Yoga Teacher Training Forum

Yoga posturing should be part of our daily routine in the office and any time when we sit. By the time you have reached your mid-fifties, you may discover that you have shrunk. It may not be much - a half inch or possibly more. This loss of height may not be such a big deal now, but by the time you reach your 70's, you could possibly lose 2-3 inches in height - most likely due to poor posture. This is why office yoga and chair yoga sessions are so important.

Many of us spend hours at a desk in front of a computer. Over time it is likely that we will develop a hunched back, or hyperkyphosis. Hip, leg, wrist, shoulder, and arm fractures are potential risks for someone with hyperkyphosis. The more the back is hunched, the greater the risk. This risk is independent of bone mass density, which suggests that hyperkyphosis posture is a separate risk factor for experiencing issues equal to osteoporosis.

Because hyperkyphosis was originally thought to have been caused by osteoporosis, this condition has been largely ignored until now. About 20-40% of the elderly are thought to be afflicted with hyperkyphosis, a slightly lower figure than for osteoporosis. Thirty to 50% of women and 15-30% of men will suffer from an osteoporosis-related fracture during their lives.

Your day-to-day habits have the greatest impact on developing better posture. You can create significant results by practicing yoga and staying aware of your posture throughout the day. It takes steady practice, time, and patience when correcting posture. If you practice chair or office yoga you will build new muscle mass to hold you upright and reshape muscle tissue that is accustomed to the wrong shape.