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After a grueling number of hours shrimping it at your desk, you finally make it to your favorite yoga class where you excitedly await some seriously muscle-unclenching, posture-straightening, and stress-busting yoga. The thing you didn’t anticipate, however, was feeling that burning, pulling, or tingling sensation radiate in your shoulder, hamstring, or lower back.
You curse under your breath and mentally replay how, exactly, you managed to hurt yourself. But you come up with nothing. It’s not like you were doing anything intense! Or so you think.
Cut to you hobbling out of class and wondering where you left the bottle of ibuprofen so you can tend to your new and unwanted friend, Muscle Strain.
The truth is, most people experience those frustrating moments during yoga—or literally any activity—from time to time. But the difference between stretching and overdoing it on the mat might be subtler than you think. Learning your body’s warning signs between “ahh” and “ouch” can not only make you a better listener but help you know exactly when to lean in or back off in a pose.
What’s the Difference Between a Stretch and a Strain?
It’s not uncommon to experience slight discomfort in a typical vinyasa yoga class since you might be stretching and strengthening your muscles in ways you don’t in everyday life. But there is a distinction between challenging yourself and overtaxing your body.
“It’s important for all of us to learn the difference, in our own bodies, between something that is stretching us and something that is causing pain or damage,” says Denver Clark, founder and director of Embodied Yoga Institute.
Signs of a Sustainable Stretch
A stretch isn’t necessarily comfortable at all times. But a sustainable stretch means your body is safely within its range of motion. Clark describes this kind of sensation as noticing a pulling, stretching, or compressing. Stretching can even feel like a dull ache or tension, says Rachel Land, Yoga Medicine instructor. But that’s generally still within the safe zone.
Another way to ensure you’re not overexerting your body in a stretch is by doing exactly what yoga already emphasizes—breathe. “If you’re able to breathe and talk during a stretch, this is a great indicator that you are in a good place,” says Clark.
In addition, a stretch is a momentary sensation that you feel in the middle (belly) of the muscle, says Land. She explains that you experience it while you’re in the stretch but it subsides when you leave the position.
Signs of a Potential Strain
Typically a muscle strain is more alarming, both in how it feels and the words people often use to describe it. Sharp, shooting, hot, and electric sensations should generally be considered warning signs, says Land.
Also, pay attention to how fast the feeling comes on. For instance, Land will come out of a pose that creates “any feeling that occurred quickly enough to make me gasp.” You also want to notice how other parts of your body react. “If the position causes your body, breath or face to restrict or contort,” says Clark, “this is usually a sign you’ve gone too far.”
How you feel a day or two after yoga is also a useful indicator of whether you pushed yourself a little too far. “That ‘hurts so good’ post-workout ache should feel dull [and in] the belly of the muscle in question instead of a joint,” says Land.
If you stayed within a comfortable range of motion in yoga class the day before, your muscles stiffness should subside as you warm up and move around. “It should also peak a day (or two) after your workout, then rapidly subside,” explains Land. “A strain is more likely to pinch or pull close to the joint, make the muscle in question feel weak, and might nag and niggle for a while—depending on how severe a strain,” she says.
If you are concerned that you experienced a muscle strain or injury, consult a doctor.
How to Prevent Straining Your Muscles in Yoga
Land and Clark recommend taking the following precautionary measures to keep you feeling your best on the mat.
Do
- Warm up thoroughly before any intense stretches.
- Come into poses slowly, pausing at 50 to 70 percent of your full range for a few breaths.
- Stay at an intensity you can breathe through. Notice when your breath becomes restricted—and back off a stretch accordingly.
- Practice small movements within a yoga pose. Feel the subtle sensations of each version, noticing which feel manageable and which don’t.
Don’t
- Strive for the “full expression” of a pose at the expense of your comfort.
- Attempt your full range of motion early in practice, or early in the morning when muscles tend to be stiff.
- Come into the same pose to the same degree every time you practice it. Sometimes you need less intensity, and that’s okay.
- Demand high performance from your muscles after a yoga class. Your muscles might need some time to recover.
- Allow a teacher or anyone else to force you “deeper” into a pose than you are able to go on your own.
When in doubt, remember that your body is intelligent. Listen to its subtle—and sometimes not-so-subtle—messages that you’re pushing yourself too far.
“I think most of us, if we pay attention, instinctively know the difference between a yellow warning sign that might encourage us to slow down, and a bright red stop sign,” says Land. The trick is to honor them.
