Get Support From Yoga Gear
Learn which props and accessories can help you reach your exercise goals and support your joints during yoga practice.
Ready to take your yoga to new levels? Props and other supportive yoga gear – beyond the proverbial yoga mat – can make all the difference. They help you keep proper body alignment and avoid injury from slipping, bending too much or placing too much weight on joints. Accessories also can help build confidence, says Marian Garfinkel, adjunct professor at Temple Medical School in Philadelphia and a yoga and arthritis researcher. “But they need to be used with discretion,” she says. “One prop may help one person, but not another.”
Yoga Gear Recommendations
Direction from a certified yoga instructor can help you find which accessories work best for you. Here are a few to consider.
Recommendations
A sturdy folding chair helps with balance during many standing and kneeling poses, and can provide support as you get up and down from the floor. At least two legs of the chair should rest on the yoga mat to prevent slipping.
If you have difficulty bending to reach the floor during stretches, a foam block can help. Rest your hand on the block – so you don’t have to bend all the way to the floor – to reduce strain. Or, try blocks with built-in handles that enable a natural grip.
Loop a strap over your feet and pull yourself forward to achieve a deeper stretch in seated, forward-bend poses. Garfinkel suggests a cotton strap with a metal buckle for security and durability.
Experts love traditional Mexican blankets to sit on or to roll up and place under the knees, neck or back in some sitting and lying poses.
Gloves and socks made with a non-slip sole can help protect and provide increased grip.
A bolster pillow also provides support and helps you further relax into a posture like Pigeon when it is placed under your bent forward leg to reduce the intensity of the stretch. To make cleaning easier, opt for a bolster with a removable, washable cover.
Wearable cushions pad and elevate the wrists and knees to help support and better align joints. For a comfortable sitting posture, even in a chair, a V-shaped meditation cushion gently tilts your pelvis forward to protect your lower back.
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