Our bodies are made out of approximately 60% of water. The water in our bodies come in different shapes and structures and this is how Yin Yoga can help you stay hydrated:
As we get older, do less exercise or right after a lot of exercise we dry up. As we dry up, we also tend to curl up and get smaller. Yoga helps the body remain hydrated, fluid and flexible long into the later years or after a Yang like workout. With respect to our joints, hydration is essential to their functioning. All the tissues in our body need a certain amount of stress to stay healthy.
What is good to know is that fibroblasts produce molecules that attract and hold water in our tissues. There are four main molecules that do this, but hyaluronic acid (HA) is the biggest contributor to hydration. HA and the other hydrating molecules make up the synovial fluids that are key to keeping our joints lubricated. As we age we lose fibroblasts; the body doesn’t produce as many. This reduces the level of hydration in our tissues. This is why we dry up, curl up, and get stiffer as we age.
Treatment for this condition is not just replacing the lost HA, although there are many companies promoting supplements and injections just for this purpose. We cannot stop the age-related drying-out process, but we can delay it. The best approach is to not replace the missing HA and other water-attracting molecules, but to stimulate the growth of more fibroblasts and increase their production of these water-loving substances.
Fibroblasts are stimulated through stress. Squeezing, compressing, and stretching the connective tissues, exactly what we do in Yin Yoga, where fibroblasts reside stimulates them to produce more HA. The body also creates more fibroblasts under such conditions. With more fibroblasts and more production from each one the body rehydrates our tissues and joints more.
We have to make sure we are providing the stress the tissues need and in an appropriate way. Yin Yoga specifically does this for the joints and the deeper fascia because of the longer holds in a relaxed way. All yoga will do this for the more superficial and myofascial (muscle) tissues as well.
Adding Yin Yoga to your practice to protect and enhance our bones and our joints seems like a smart thing to do.
