London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 10, 2025

Yoga teachers 'risking serious hip problems'

Pushing their bodies to repeat the same yoga positions is leading to a rise in hip problems among teachers, a leading physio warns.

Yoga's popularity does not look like it will wane any time soon.

Its physical benefits for flexibility and balance, as well as its spiritual connection, mean it's practised by millions across the world.

And that means a need for more and more yoga teachers.

But now, there is a warning they may be putting their own hip health at risk.

Benoy Matthews, a leading UK-based physiotherapist, warns he is seeing increasing numbers of yoga teachers with serious hip problems - many of whom require surgery - because they are pushing their bodies too hard.

Mr Matthews, a specialist hip and knee physiotherapist and member of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapists, says he sees four to five yoga teachers a month.

He says the problem lies in people repeatedly pushing their bodies into "prescribed" positions, when their physiology prevents it.

About half of the teachers he sees simply need advice on how to moderate the "prescribed" yoga positions, so as not to put too much stress on their joints.

But those with more advanced problems need medical treatment and surgery - including total hip replacements.

"People confuse stiffness and pain," he says. "If there is a pinching or blocking feeling in the groin, it shouldn't be ignored. You have to know your limits."

Mr Matthews has specialised in hips and knees for the last eight of his 22 years as a physio.

He says it can be easy for yoga practitioners to mistake joint pain, which means they should stop the movement, for stiffness, which they should push through.

"We all know about the health benefits of yoga - I practise it myself," he says. "But, like anything, it can cause injury. We can't put it on a pedestal.

"I don't want to denounce yoga, after all it's been going for thousands of years. But you have to understand yourself."

Mr Matthews says the problem often boils down to how a person's hips are formed and how flexible they are.

"What's achievable for one might not be achievable for others," he says. "People tend to do the same set positions, rather than what's achievable for them.

"Ego might mean them trying to take a position 'all the way' to the end when they should just stop where it's comfortable.

"Just because the person next to you can reach all the way doesn't mean it's necessary, or desirable, to do the same."


'Mix it up'

Mr Matthews says the amount of yoga teachers do, as well as the fact they might not be doing any other kind of exercise, can explain the problems that develop.

"They might be doing yoga six days a week and think that's enough, without doing any other kind of exercise, like cardio or cross training," he says.

"It's like anything. If you do the same thing again and again, there can be problems. You need to mix it up in terms of the kind of exercise you do.

"The yoga teachers I'm seeing are young - 40, 42.

"If they come limping and can't walk more than 10m [33ft], say, there's no amount of physio that can help them. If it's two years in, even the best physio can't do anything.

Sometimes they can have keyhole surgery (hip arthroscopy), or it's a replacement.

Mr Matthews suggests new yoga teachers should be assessed. "You could see what mobility they have and what their body is allowing them to do," he says.

Natalie Gartshore has been a yoga teacher for 16 years, She thinks the popularity of yoga means it's effectively a victim of its own success.

"I don't think you're told very much when you're training as a teacher about physiology or anatomy," she says. "There is an overuse issue.

"If you got people en masse taking up ballet, you would get the same results."

Natalie, now 45, tore the cartilage in her hip five years ago.

She now makes sure she manages her class workload and doesn't work weekends. But she says it's hard for newly qualified teachers to do the same.

"They'll be doing five classes a day, running around, working weekends," she says.

The British Wheel of Yoga is approved by Sports England, as the practice's governing body.

Wendy Haring, its chair of education, says: "It's probably true in some schools of yoga, where people hold poses for a long time without modification, that's when there are problems."

But learning about anatomy and physiology is a "major part" of BWP-approved courses.

"We would teach people how to modify poses," Mrs Haring says.

She adds though, people teaching yoga do need to take care and advises anyone wanting to train to make sure their courses are Ofqual-approved.

Pip White, professional adviser at the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, says: "Yoga is a fantastic activity for people to do, with lots of benefits for your health and general wellbeing.

"However, as with any form of exercise, it's important to do it safely and in this case, also understanding your own limits, as we are all built differently.

"Yoga is not about being in competition with anyone else. If you stay aware of your abilities and practise within your own limits, you will gain all the great benefits this practice has to offer."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
×