Gymjuries
Peculiar And Not So Peculiar Yoga Injuries
- Yoga Injuries (via nytimes)
Yoga injuries are on the rise, reports the New York Times. There's not a ton of data, but the U.S. Product Safety Commission listed 3,760 yoga injuries in 2004 and 4,450 in 2006, and then, of course, there's anecdote. Among the injuries the Times chronicles:
- Thumb strain from an instructor lifting thumbs and angling them forward during downward dog
- Back injury during upward dog and cobra
- Wrist and rotator cuff battery sustained in plank or chaturanga
- Nose broken from a crow pose fall
As you might expect, overzealous students and crummy teachers are typically to blame. But let's get back to that broken nose. Terrible, terrible, but also kind of funny... Which makes me wonder about other amusing-in-retrospect yoga injuries. Anyone got a story? Massive mat burn sustained during warrior 3 toppling? Black eye from from forearm stand gone wrong?
- Charity D.'s blog
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Comments
I broke a toe once after volunteering to do a handstand at a party, and coming down out of it via a stop at an adjacent dining room table.
I know we've talked about drunk yoga before, but this was my lesson that inversions should not be used as party tricks, especially after a couple glasses of wine. :)
Submitted by joesgirl on 07.26.10 at 10:12.
I passed out at my gym after trying handstand and flipping over towards the end of an especially hot yoga class......
Submitted by michlny on 07.26.10 at 10:25.
I had to YELL at someone last week after they tried to adjust me, I said "ouch!" and they kept pushing. "Ouch!" is code word for "hey, you, stop it!"
Submitted by erikka on 07.26.10 at 11:43.
Erikka, I had a similar experience but in a much better way. My instructor pushed down on me in some position because I was way up in the air instead of down on my heels like I was supposed to be. Unfortunately, my body doesn't do that, at least not yet....I'm working on it. I cried out, "aaaaaaaaaaiiiiiiiiiiiihhhhhhhhhhh!" Lucky for me, she stopped immediately. After class she came up to me to talk about it, wanting to make sure I was okay, and I said I was. She was happy about that and mentioned that she thought that might be the case since I laughed afterward.
Submitted by vajardin on 07.26.10 at 07:09.
I hurt my big toe while going through chaturanga. It was the most bizarre intense pain but brought a good laugh. Did I seriously injure my big toe while flipping my feet to up dog? Sounds ridiculous and makes for a fun story.
Submitted by saram on 07.27.10 at 01:13.
I did a face plant while trying to hold the Crane for 5 seconds. Fortunately, no harm except to my ego.
Submitted by sunset45 on 07.29.10 at 02:16.