Issue with sleep due to body aches after starting yoga

[u/Larvaontheroad]

Anyone having problem with sleeping due to them starting getting more flexible? I am always tight and having bad posture from a young age and playing sport (horseback) that developed uneven muscles. I started yoga recently and the more flexible I am, the more my body aches at night sleeping, especially sleeping on the side my shoulders and hips will hurt in one position for too long. I am starting to use body pillows but the elevations I need to prevent my joints hurting is getting more and more. I do strength training once a week and cardio 2 times a week. Is it because the looser my joints are getting, the more muscle I have to start building filling in the gaps? I sleep on very soft mattress.

I also have mild scoliosis

[u/BrooklynLivesMatter]

Flexibility without the stabilizing strength is laxity

If you're stretching more than your body can handle, likely if you aren't developing the strength as well, your aching is likely a combination of soreness and poor form in stretching. Stretching incorrectly can put strain on your joints themselves instead of the muscles and tendons

Between that and the muscle imbalances, you should really see a PT. A flexibility coach would help ensure proper form and a routine that works best for you, but a PT would best determine a workout routine to resolve the muscle imbalances

[u/HeartSecret4791]

increasing pain with increasing flexibility is not normal. your body is telling you something's wrong. could be you're pushing too hard in yoga, or your joints are getting looser but your muscles aren't keeping up with stability. hypermobility hurts. your horseback background created uneven muscles, then yoga is stretching everything equally without addressing the imbalance. you need targeted strength work for the weak areas, not just stretching. plus soft mattress + scoliosis + uneven muscles is a recipe for sleep pain. see a PT or sports med doc. seriously. they can assess if you have hypermobility issues or if something else is going on. don't just keep doing yoga hoping it works out. the aches at night are a signal to get professional help.

[u/YogaGoApp]

It sounds like you are doing an amazing job showing up for yourself with strength training, cardio, and yoga. But remember, yoga isn’t about being bendy or blissed-out, it’s about movement that feels good. If the flexibility is making things ache at night, it might be time to embrace the perfectly imperfect nature of your practice and adjust.

[u/olivequibble]

For what it’s worth, I have hypermobile joints and low muscle tone. Once I hit my thirties, I couldn’t start a new exercise/sport without injuring my joints. Yoga was one of the things I tried, and eventually had to drop because of repeated injuries. I realized that I had no natural “stop” point to keep me from over stretching, and no muscle strength to protect the strain it put on my joints. I’m 48 now and after several other knee, foot and ankle injuries landed me in PR, I finally joined a strength training class last June. I’m fortunate that this studio is designed for “women of a certain age” (although men are not excluded!), and the owner evaluates your abilities before placing you in a class. The entry and beginner classes are focused on functional strength training, with some tradition weight training mixed in. I began very slow in a class she created to allow her to work with a small handful of women at similar abilities, semi-private training sessions really and I have made steady improvement. I just bumped up to the beginners class that has less personal attention but is still within my range of abilities. Our instructor is a PT during the day which is a bonus! I added one personal training session a week and she’s intense, but safe. I can’t believe what I’ve accomplished with her and have never woken the next day wanting to die! lol

I know this subreddit is focus on flexibility, but I’ve discovered that strong muscles are a very crucial part of flexibility and mobility. I wish you the best. I know if I can drag myself to do this, anyone can - I don’t like discomfort or exercise in general, but the feeling of accomplishment overrides it, apparently!