Lately I have noticed a trend in both physiotherapy clients and yoga classes. More hypermobile people are drawn to deep stretches and the sensation of sinking into poses. They typically have more mobility than average, so they can move further into positions than most. They love the feeling of a good stretch and the release that comes with it, which often leads them to push further to chase that same sensation.
This is a guide to practising yoga with hypermobility, why pain shows up, and how to adjust four common poses so your joints are supported rather than stressed.
Why Hypermobile Bodies Are Drawn to Deep Stretches
This group also tends to seek physiotherapy when aches and pains start. On assessment it is clear they have an extensive range of motion through their joints and muscles. Some have joint hypermobility, which describes a spectrum of increased joint range of motion.
These individuals often report a deep love for yoga and Pilates, especially movements that let them reach their full range. There is a general pattern though. They often lack the strength needed to control that larger range. Without adequate proprioception or the strength to control the body through yoga poses, it is easy to overextend, which leads to misalignment and eventually to aches, pains and injuries.
What Happens When You Sink Into End Range
Take poses like lunges or downward dog. Sitting into the end range of a movement can lead to discomfort, particularly when repeated over time.
Forcing the knees into hyperextension, effectively slamming them back, relies on the bony and ligamentous structures of the joint rather than engaging the muscles around it. Ligaments are strong, but they are not designed to be lengthened the way muscles are. Loading them repeatedly at end range may contribute to a feeling of instability, and with it a higher risk of irritation and pain.
I Am Talking About Myself Here Too
I have always been naturally flexible and hypermobile, having danced all my life. Stretching became a way to maintain and push my limits further. I get it, it feels incredible.
I loved deep backbends in yoga at a time when I had very little core or trunk stability, and that eventually led to lower back pain. In ballet I admired the look of my hyperextended knees on pointe, but I was not paying attention to the surrounding muscles, my hamstrings, quads and calves. Knee control stayed difficult until I built strength in those areas and improved my proprioception, the awareness of where my knees actually were in space.
How to Adjust Four Common Yoga Poses
1. Downward Facing Dog
Downward facing dog is a pose where hypermobility sneaks in. It feels great to sink deeper into the shoulders, arch the back and hyperextend the elbows. Done repeatedly or held for long periods, this can lead to pain in the elbows, wrists, shoulders and back, because the joints are being held by structure rather than muscle.
In this pose it is not about getting your arms and legs as straight as possible. Focus instead on extending the hips upward toward the ceiling. Avoid letting your belly sag and your lower back overextend. Engage your core by gently drawing your belly button in toward your spine. It is an active position.
Do not let your shoulders collapse either. Actively press the floor away with your hands, engaging your lats. Think about pressing your arms down toward the floor, similar to a lat pull-down, and rotate your shoulders back and down for better stability. Doing this engages the protective muscles of the trunk, arms and shoulders, and lets you repeat the pose through a class in a supported way.
2. Upward Facing Dog
Upward facing dog is another pose where hypermobile people love to sink into the lumbar spine. Just as I did. Without engagement through the core and arms, this can lead to lower back pain.
Start by actively pressing the floor away with your hands. Engage the shoulders and press up and out of the floor. Engage the core by gently drawing the belly button toward the spine, and think about drawing in your side waist as though putting on a tight pair of jeans. With these corrections you should be able to perform a more active upward facing dog while protecting your lower back. It will not feel like as much of a stretch, but that is the point. You are engaging your muscles and building strength through your practice.
3. Lunges
Whether it is low lunge, lizard, high lunge or warrior one, most people sit deeply into the lunge to feel the stretch through the hip flexor. I get it, it feels great. But lunges, especially higher ones like arrowhead, high lunge and warrior one, are designed to build strength through the legs and core, not just flexibility.
The key is maintaining alignment. Keep your hips level so they do not shift forward or drop. That makes it easier to engage your leg muscles to hold the position, and you will feel the quads working, which is a good thing.
If you tend to overextend your lower back or struggle to engage your core, focus on pelvic position. Imagine your pelvis is a bucket of water and you do not want any spilling out. Many people unintentionally tilt the pelvis and let the water pour out the front, which loads the lower back. Gently engage your core and position your pelvis slightly under, toward your front leg.
If you still feel lower back discomfort in lunges, check your ribcage and shoulder alignment. Your ribs and shoulders should stack directly over your pelvis. Bringing them forward often helps settle that nagging lower back pain. Extending the spine toward the ceiling, pressing your legs through the floor and engaging the core all make lunges more active and stop you sitting into the joints.
4. Headstands
Headstands are an advanced pose that require significant core strength, and they carry a risk of neck and shoulder pain.
Start by pressing actively into the floor with your forearms, which shifts weight off your neck. Engage your triceps so more load goes through the arms. Engage your shoulders by lifting them up and out, activating your lats and rotator cuff to stabilise rather than letting them collapse. Then engage your core to keep your torso upright while you are upside down.
The goal is a balanced position where your body is stacked above your arms. There is a continuous negotiation of using your core to stabilise, and gently tucking your tailbone under helps prevent overextension of the lower back.
When to See a Physiotherapist
If you are feeling discomfort during yoga poses, it is worth booking an appointment with a physiotherapist. Our general physiotherapy team can assess your range of motion, look at where you sit on the hypermobility spectrum, and identify areas where you may lack the strength to perform yoga poses safely.
It is completely fine to sit deeply into a pose for a stretch. If you practise regularly, just try to avoid doing it in every session or in every repetition. Building control through your available range is where our performance physiotherapy work tends to focus, and for anyone combining yoga with training or sport, our sports physiotherapy team can help you balance the two.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should hypermobile people avoid yoga?
No. Yoga with hypermobility can work well, and the strength and control elements of a practice are genuinely useful. The adjustment is in how you approach poses, engaging muscles to support the joint rather than sinking into end range every time.
Why does yoga make my joints ache if I am flexible?
Flexibility without the strength to control it means your joints are relying on ligaments and bony structures rather than muscle. Over repeated sessions this can produce aching, most commonly through the lower back, elbows, wrists and shoulders.
How do I know if I am hypermobile?
Joint hypermobility sits on a spectrum, and a physiotherapist can assess where you fall on it using a straightforward examination. Signs include joints that move beyond typical range, elbows or knees that hyperextend, and a history of finding stretching easy.
Will strengthening make me less flexible?
No. Building strength through your available range gives you control over it. Most people find they keep their range and gain the ability to use it safely.
Further Reading
Wondering whether stretching helps or hinders? Our piece on whether stretching is good for injury works through what the evidence actually supports.
Book an Appointment
Book an appointment at BeFit Training Physiotherapy. No referral needed.
BeFit Training Physiotherapy Edgecliff
Ground Floor, 287-289 New South Head Road, Edgecliff NSW 2027
Phone: (02) 9327 7749
BeFit Training Physiotherapy Coogee
Shop 1/2 Byron Street, Coogee NSW 2034
Phone: (02) 7205 2805
