Is your Teacher/DVD Putting your Body in Danger?

Yoga, fitness trends and how to tell if your teacher is unskilled.

If you look at the skilled hoopers who perform tricks, watch their alignment. They rarely hoop on the core and when they do, they push their chest and head forward and elbows back. This compresses the whole spine and back of the ribcage, which limits flexibility and range of motion and creates chronic compression and pain in the L4, L5 region, as well as pinches nerves and discs.

They also tend to fold at the hips, tipping their torso forward. They do this because they are trying to control the speed and angle of the hoop but don’t know how to use their core muscles. This happens if the hoop is too small or too light.

There are many hoops and workouts on the market. Some use key words such as yoga, core and fitness, to market their brand. Some even have certifications from other companies and from ACE, a state certified program. People who are skilled in exercise physiology, basic body mechanics and alignment, can instantly see that the hoops and movements that the teachers use, are incorrect and will put people in danger.