Yoga for Hypermobility: Pros, Cons & 5 Tips to Safely Guide Students

Hypermobility isn't as rare as you might think. In fact, studies estimate that about 1 in 10 people have joints that are more flexible than average, allowing for a wider range of motion. This extra bendiness might seem like an advantage in yoga, but it actually comes with its own set of challenges on the mat.

As yoga teachers, we often celebrate flexibility. But for those with hypermobile joints, too much stretch can lead to instability and even injury over time. It's a bit like having really loose rubber bands instead of muscles—they might stretch further, but they don't always snap back into place easily.

Understanding hypermobility is crucial for both yoga teachers and practitioners. Below, I'll reveal how to spot the signs of hypermobile joints, weigh out the pros and cons of yoga for hypermobility, and explore the best ways to support and teach students with this condition.

How to Identify Hypermobility

The Brighton Score test is one method to identify whether you or a student have hypermobile joints. It is a simple 9-point system that measures joint laxity and mobility. In general, if you say yes to any of the following questions, you are likely hypermobile.

Can You:

• Pull either of your thumbs down to your wrist? 
• Hyperextend a knee or an elbow by 10 degrees? In other words, if you lock your elbows/knees, do they form a curved line?
• Bend your pinky finger back to 90 degrees?
• Put your palms flat on the floor without bending your knees? 

Due to their training, yoga students can usually bend forward and place their palms on the floor with straight legs. The easiest way to identify if a student has hypermobility is to check if their:

• Knees curve when standing straight with legs locked 
• Arms bow when stretched to the fullest degree

Why Is Hypermobility Bad? 

Joint hypermobility syndrome is not a disease in the real sense, but people with this over flexibility can experience pain and stiffness if not managed. Other symptoms can include clicking joints, fatigue, dislocations, dizziness, and even fainting.  

Here are a few other ways hypermobility can negatively impact your physical health and well-being:  

1. Joint Ligament Strain

In hypermobile joints, stabilizing muscles are relaxed, causing body weight to hang on joint ligaments. Ligaments aren't designed to support this kind of weight. If not managed, hypermobility could lead to inflammation, rupture, or tears over time. 

2. Cartilage Inflammation 

When joints move beyond their intended range, the protective cartilage on bone ends can rub together and become inflamed. This may cause arthritis-like symptoms such as swelling after exercise or at night. Long-term, this friction can cause permanent cartilage wear-and-tear and joint capsule inflammation. 

3. Increased Injury Risk 

Hypermobility poses certain risks, especially during weight-bearing activities. Muscles work optimally within a specific range, with maximum strength at the mid-point and weakness at extremes. This is why you may struggle to stand up when squatting low with a heavy weight. As a result, hypermobile people are more likely to move joints to these extreme positions, significantly increasing the risk of injuries, sprains, and strains. 

Also Read: What is Yoga Anatomy – A Guide to Safe Yoga Practices 

Is Yoga Good for Hypermobility? 

In short yes, yoga can be helpful for those with hypermobility syndrome, but it requires a mindful approach. While yoga promotes flexibility, which might seem ideal for someone with hypermobile joints, the key is to focus on building strength and stability rather than pushing deeper into already flexible areas.  

Overstretching in yoga can worsen the instability in hypermobile joints, leading to pain or injury. The best type of yoga for hypermobility is yoga which strengthens the muscles around the joints to balance out excessive flexibility.  

When practicing yoga with hypermobility syndrome, it's essential to focus on alignment, use props for support, and avoid pushing beyond comfortable limits. Listening to your body and working with a knowledgeable instructor will help prevent overstretching and injury. 

How to Teach Yoga for Hypermobility: 5 Tips for a Safe Class

Interestingly, those with hypermobility are more likely to join yoga classes than others. After all, these are individuals who know that they can do most yoga poses with little practice. 

One of the greatest shared beliefs for not practicing yoga is hypomobility or body stiffness. However, the supposed benefit of hypermobility isn’t always true. Those living with hypermobility are actually at higher risk of injuring themselves as they tend to overextend their loose joints in poses, increasing the risk of straining their muscles, tendons, and ligaments. 

This does not mean that yoga is bad for hypermobility, it means that we, as yoga teachers, must be cautious when teaching yoga to people with hypermobility joint syndrome. 

Below are 5 tips to help you safely teach yoga for hypermobility: 

1. Avoid Over-praising Hypermobility in Yoga 

Students with hypermobility can often easily perform asanas that take others months or even years to learn. Teachers, therefore, can be tempted to use these students to demo postures that require flexibility or can be quick to praise their ability to easily come into the perfect alignment so naturally. Even though we recommend celebrating your students for their efforts regularly, make sure you do not repeatedly praise a hypermobile student. 

There are two reasons for this:  

• Firstly, other students who do not possess such a great range of flexibility might feel discouraged.  
• Secondly, the hypermobile student might over-exploit their mobility and cause long term damage. 

2. Bring Awareness to Joints 

Hypermobile people need to focus on learning to keep their joints at a healthy angle. The habit of standing, walking and exercising with hyper-extended knees is particularly worrisome for the health of the knee joints and the spine. Bearing all your body weight on hyper-extended knees will eventually damage the ligaments, cartilage, or menisci. As the knees are locked, the alignment of the pelvis changes as well, often leading to lordosis (Swayback) in the lumbar spine. 

Therefore, regularly remind your students to be aware of their joints. As a rule of thumb. If they feel comfortable with a joint extension or flexion, ask them to reduce that extension or flexion slightly. 

Watch out for: 

• Hyper-extended (locked) knees in standing postures such as Mountain Pose, Dancers Pose and other standing balances where one of both legs are straight. 
• Hyper-extended (locked) elbows in weight-bearing postures such as Downward-Facing Dog and Inclined Plane. 

3. Encourage Mindful Movements

Remind your students with hypermobility syndrome to be conscious of their limits and to never push too far in poses. At the extreme range, muscles are weaker and more likely to get hurt. Many people with hypermobility may harm themselves just by being over-enthusiastic or trying to prove that they can do specific asanas in their first attempt. Keep the pace of your yoga classes relaxed and encourage them to be aware of the smallest movements. 

4. Focus on Strengthening 

In order to practice yoga safely and effectively, students with hypermobility syndrome need to develop muscle strength instead of exploiting their natural flexibility. Strengthening the muscles around the joints won’t reduce hypermobility, rather, it gives the joints more stability. This significantly reduces the risk of sprains and strains, or other kinds of injuries. 

5. Give Feedback 

Just as with any other student, verbal feedback and gentle physical assistance will help students with hypermobility in yoga understand how to improve their alignment. This also means tailoring your instructions to their needs. For example, in a back bend where most students will focus on moving deeper into the pose and lengthening the front of their body, you could ask those with hypermobility to keep their core active and restrict the movement. 

Also Read: Yoga Cues: Teacher Dos & Don’ts for a Safe & Functional Class 

Final Thought

Yoga is not about how deep you can go, but how strong you can become.  While the natural flexibility of hypermobile students can make certain yoga poses easier, the focus should always be on building strength and stability rather than pushing deeper into already flexible areas.

Be mindful in your approach to yoga for hypermobility and use it as a path to build a strong, stable, and balanced body that’ll support your health and well-being long into life.  

Sources

[1] https://www.shoulderdoc.co.uk/article/645

[2] https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10067-013-2191-9