“I would recommend Bikram yoga to everyone…” Andy – BIKRAM YOGA FOR TRICEP INJURY

Growing up l played competitive tennis and was ranked nationally in the UK. After retiring from tennis due to a number of reasons l found myself needing another sporting habit to keep me fit and healthy. I joined a gym and feel in love with lifting weights.

My new goal was to build a big and strong physique but what l hadn’t realized at the time was l paid no attention to warm up, cool downs or recovery. One morning l woke up with a lot of pain coming from the right triceps, I couldn’t straighten my arm. I saw a specialist who confirmed l had a slight tear in my triceps and recommended continuing to see a physiotherapist and if that didn’t work the only other options were a cortisone shot or surgery.

I saw different physiotherapists for over a year who had managed to restore normal movement to my arm but none of them were able to take the pain away.

Time for the miracle!

My mum suggested l try Bikram yoga as she thought the combination of heat and deep stretching may help with the pain. She had been going for years and had credited her recovery from knee surgery to Bikram yoga as well as many other benefits.

I read up on Bikram yoga and I thought l might as well give it a go as l was running out of options and didn’t want to be in constant pain.

Going in to my first class l didn’t know what to expect but the competitor inside me said no matter what happens don’t sit down, focus on your breathing and keep going.

I came out of the class feeling amazing, dead but amazing and l had achieved my goal of not sitting down. The best part of attending the class, which l never would have guessed,  was l was pain free. No pain in my triceps at all. It only lasted 30 minutes but it was the first time in years that the pain had gone. After the first class l knew l had to keep going.

Since then l have been doing Bikram yoga for 2 years and the pain in my triceps has completely gone! Because of this l now feel stronger, mentally and physically than ever before. I went back to playing tennis competitively at club level, back training hard in the gym and can do many other sports that were not possible before Bikram yoga.

As a tennis coach l would recommend Bikram yoga to everyone especially tennis players. It will help improve your flexibility and to balance your body, which is very important for a tennis player.

The other area Bikram yoga helps take you to another level is your mental strength. Players will find they are more in control of their breathing, able to withstand hot temperatures and when things get tough on court continue to fight rather than throw in the towel.

I can’t recommend Bikram yoga enough.