Is It Bad to Do Too Much Yoga?

Yoga can help you get stronger, balanced and flexible. It can also make you feel more relaxed, peaceful and less stressed. As with any form of exercise, though, too much yoga can have potentially negative effects. If you’re practicing too much, you could sustain an injury, such as pulling or tearing a muscle from overuse. If you're overtired and unfocused during practice, improper alignment could cause injuries to your knees, shoulders or other potentially vulnerable areas. Yoga teaches mindfulness and balance and, ultimately you need to listen to your body -- it will give you signs of whether or not you're practicing too much yoga.

  1. The Wrong Kind of Yoga

    • Practicing yoga outside of your ability level or practicing a yoga program with fitness goals that aren’t in alignment with your own can be detrimental to your practice and health. For example, if you commit to a regular Ashtanga yoga practice as a novice yogi, you might bump into problems immediately because the rigorous, strength-based practice will be too challenging. Frustration and injury could result. Doing too much yoga can also have harmful effects if you aren’t adequately preparing your body. If you regularly practice hot yoga, for instance, which often induces vigorous sweating, this could be dangerous if you’re not hydrating appropriately.

    Yoga and Injuries

    • Although yoga philosophy teaches that students should be patient and accepting of their bodies -- including limitations in their practice -- students can sometimes expect a certain level of progression in their ability. You might push too hard because you feel that you “ought to” be able to achieve a backward bend or inversion. For example, you might push yourself to extend both legs straight out in side plank, instead of dropping one knee to support your balance. If your body isn't ready, this could create too much pressure on your balancing wrist and shoulder, causing the potential for injury. Warning signs to back off include holding your breath, wobbling excessively, or feeling pain in your muscles and ligaments when you're in a pose.

    Different People, Different Limits

    • The definition of too much yoga for one person could be different for another person depending on fitness levels and the intensity of the yoga classes you're taking. And while yoga relieves tension and strengthens muscles, taking five or more classes per week could strain your muscles and give you a false sense of progression. Many standing postures work your quadriceps, for example, while forward folds can be demanding for hamstrings. Overworking these muscles could result in soreness, pain, strain or tearing. If you feel constantly tired and sore, it could be a sign that you're doing too much yoga.

    Rushing the Process

    • When people become overly familiar with a yoga flow, they can sometimes rush through one posture in order to achieve the next posture. Rushing through a posture denies you the opportunity to receive the strength-building benefits or other benefits associated with the pose. For example, during Sun Salutations you might rush through a chaturanga dandasana, also known as "crocodile" or "pushup" pose, in order to push directly into upward-facing dog. Using momentum to drop down instead of slowly sinking down, keeping your elbows pinned to your sides, means that you won't be correctly working your shoulders, upper arms, core and quads in this pose. If you find yourself rushing from pose to pose, it's probably a sign that you're doing too much yoga.