By Gistflash
June 21, 2021
A Consultant Family Physician, Dr Olujimi Sodipo, says yoga practice should be encouraged, but must be done with moderation and under supervision of experts, to prevent complications.
Sodipo, Head of Department, Family Medicine, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja, made the assertion in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Lagos.
Sodipo gave the advice in commemoration of the International Yoga Day, celebrated annually on June 21.
The celebration which has as its theme, “Yoga for Well-being,” seeks to highlight how the practice of yoga could promote the holistic health of every individual.
Yoga is an ancient physical, mental and spiritual practice that originated in India. It involves movement, meditation and breathing techniques to promote mental and physical well-being.
Sodipo said that people needed to understand that yoga was not a treatment in itself, but a complementary medical therapy that could be adopted to promote wellbeing.
“A person might have hypertension that’s stress induced, resulting in fluctuating blood pressure and a doctor might recommend yoga. That doesn’t mean the medication will stop.
“But it might lead to a reduction in the number of medications being taken and promote a healthy lifestyle because of the practice that occurs with yoga,” he said.
He, however, said that most people do not consult a doctor prior to yoga practice, noting that there are contraindications that make yoga not suitable for everyone.
According to him, in spite of the health benefits of yoga, it can put one at risk of injuries in the neck, back, shoulder and could also cause torn muscles, if not properly done.
The physician noted that yoga practice had yet to be fully adopted as a form of medical therapy in Nigeria, due to inadequate numbers of certified providers of the services.
“So there’s the challenge that people might misuse or abuse it.
“Of course, it’s a field that other healthcare practitioners can go into and form part of healthcare treatment that could be used in managing chronic diseases and mental health issues.
“At present, we have some fitness trainers that offer it as part of their routine services.
“The best option is for it to be structured and regulated, because for every technique no matter how simple it looks, there could be complications that might arise from it.
“Some people don’t know much about yoga practice beyond what they got from the internet, and they are offering the service and charging huge amounts of money, leading to health complications,” he said.
He advocated short time intensive training programmes for healthcare practitioners on the best yoga techniques to use, duration of practice and why some people should not practice it.
NAN
Spread the loveThe Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has announced the completion of the sale of shares in Polaris Bank to Strategic Capital Investment Limited (SCIL), a new core investor. In a statement signed by its Director, Corporate Communications […]
Spread the loveDarren Bent, a former Charlton, Tottenham and Sunderland striker, has suggested that the end of Cristiano Ronaldo has come at Manchester United. The former England man said he sees no way the former Real Madrid star can […]
Spread the love Unknown gunmen in the early hours of Wednesday attacked a police station located in Atani, the headquarters of Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra State. It was gathered that the gunmen launched the attack on the […]
Supreme Court Affirms Six-Year Jail Term For Former Director Of Pensions, John Yakub The Supreme Court has affirmed the six years imprisonment imposed on a former Federal Director of Pensions, Mister John Yakubu, and also ordered him to refund […]
Spread the loveMedia Intelligence agency Marks Six years of Operation in Nigeria. P+ Measurement Services, Nigeria’s foremost Independent Public Relations measurement and evaluation agency, celebrates its sixth year of effective operation with qualitative offerings for its numerous clients, as it […]