yoga

[thefrogprincess]

Hey doc,I was just wondering what you think of yoga. About 5 years ago I dislocated my shoulder playing volley ball (which I loved!!!) and had to stop playing because the injurie was so bad. It also makes swimming scary, not to mention difficult because I could reinjure myself. In the last couple of years I've developed arthritis, particularly in my knees, so high impact things like running are painful. I've heard that a big part of yoga is controlled breathing so I thought it could be good for the ol' lungs. What do you think?

 

[anonymous]

Hi,I'm not the doctor, but I am a 39 year old cf patient, I have been doing yoga for almost 7 years now. It has helped me tremendously! I am at the point in my life where I can't do a whole lot of aerobic activity, yet am not ready to be a complete couch potato, and yoga is perfect. The controlled breathing helps clear out my lungs and the stretching/poses make my body feel great. Plus it is very relaxing! I hope you can try it, I noticed a difference after a couple weeks. Good luck!

 

[thefrogprincess]

Sounds good to me!

 

[Taylor]

the frog princess,Thanks for posting your questions!Yoga is a great form of exercise and wellness. There are many types of yoga which cater to people at different fitness levels. Precaution should be taken if you are inexperienced with exercise or more specifically with yoga. You may want to start with beginner classes before progressing to more advanced levels to prevent injury. Since Breathing is an important component to yoga, a good instructor will incorporate education regarding proper respiration into the sessions. The controlled breathing coupled with specific body positions/poses should only help to enhance respiratory effeciency for individuals with cystic fibrosis.Best,Dr. Lee