Hypermobility & Yoga: What You Need to Know
Can you still practise yoga if you are hypermobile?
Yes.
In fact, movement and exercise can be an important part of managing symptomatic hypermobility.
However, yoga may need to be approached a little differently if you are naturally very flexible or have been diagnosed with a hypermobility spectrum disorder (HSD) or hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (hEDS).
When you are naturally flexible, it can be very easy to move further into a posture than your joints need or can comfortably control.
This means that a yoga practice focused primarily on increasing flexibility may not always be the most appropriate approach.
Instead, a more useful practice may focus on:
- Strength
- Joint stability
- Movement control
- Proprioception
- Balance
- Body awareness
- Functional mobility
- Comfortable range of movement
- Breathing and relaxation
The aim isn’t to make you less flexible.
It is to help you become stronger and more confident within the range of movement you already have.
What is hypermobility?
Joint hypermobility simply means that a joint can move through a greater range than is considered typical.
Some people are naturally hypermobile and have no problems at all.
Hypermobility is therefore not automatically a medical condition.
It can become more significant when excessive joint movement is accompanied by symptoms such as:
- Joint or muscle pain
- Recurrent sprains or strains
- Joints that feel unstable
- Recurrent subluxations or dislocations
- Fatigue
- Poor balance
- Reduced awareness of joint position
- Muscle tension or spasms
- Difficulty controlling certain movements
When symptoms are associated with generalised joint hypermobility but a person does not meet the criteria for a specific connective-tissue disorder, they may be diagnosed with hypermobility spectrum disorder (HSD).
Some people with significant hypermobility may meet the diagnostic criteria for hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (hEDS).
These are not simply different words for being flexible. They describe different clinical situations, and an appropriate healthcare professional should make the diagnosis. (Ehlers-Danlos Society)
Can I still do yoga if I am hypermobile?
Yes, but your practice may need to look different from the way yoga is sometimes presented.
Yoga often celebrates flexibility.
Deep forward folds, big backbends, splits and impressive ranges of movement can look beautiful, but achieving a larger range isn’t necessarily the goal for a hypermobile body.
If your joints already move beyond the typical range, repeatedly pushing towards your end range may place additional stress on the structures that help stabilise the joint.
The Ehlers-Danlos Society recommends exercise that focuses on movement control and strengthening the muscles that stabilise hypermobile joints, with activity progressed gradually. It also advises caution around stretching beyond the normal range of motion. (Ehlers-Danlos Society)
So rather than asking:
“How far can I go?”
a useful question may be:
“Can I control this movement comfortably?”
How might yoga support someone with hypermobility?
Yoga isn’t a cure for hypermobility, HSD or hEDS.
However, an appropriately adapted yoga practice may offer useful opportunities to work on strength, balance, body awareness, controlled movement and relaxation.
1. Strength and joint stability
One of the most important aspects of exercise for people with symptomatic hypermobility is developing the strength needed to help stabilise joints.
Yoga can provide opportunities to strengthen:
- Legs
- Glutes
- Core
- Shoulders
- Upper back
- Feet and ankles
The Ehlers-Danlos Society identifies exercise as an important part of managing EDS and HSD because improving muscle strength can help support joint stability. (Ehlers-Danlos Society)
This doesn’t mean every yoga pose is automatically strengthening.
A pose can actually become less useful if you simply hang into your joints rather than actively supporting the movement with your muscles.
2. Proprioception and body awareness
Proprioception is your body’s ability to sense where your joints and limbs are in space.
Some people with hypermobility experience reduced proprioception, which can make it harder to recognise when a joint has moved beyond a controlled position. (Ehlers-Danlos Society)
Yoga can provide opportunities to develop body awareness through slow, controlled movement.
For example:
- Feeling the position of your feet
- Noticing weight distribution
- Controlling knee position
- Developing awareness of the pelvis
- Maintaining shoulder stability
- Moving slowly into and out of postures
- Using props to provide feedback
This can make a posture less about achieving a particular shape and more about understanding how your body is moving.
3. Balance
Balance work can be particularly useful because it combines:
- Strength
- Proprioception
- Coordination
- Concentration
- Joint control
Standing balance poses can be modified by using a wall or chair.
You don’t need to make balance harder simply for the sake of making it harder.
Sometimes the most valuable version of a balance posture is the one where you can maintain good control.
4. Mobility without excessive stretching
Being hypermobile doesn’t necessarily mean that every part of your body feels flexible.
You can be very mobile in some joints while experiencing significant muscular tightness elsewhere.
This can create a confusing situation where you feel that you need to stretch, even though some of your joints already have a large range of movement.
The Ehlers-Danlos Society specifically notes that people with EDS and HSD may feel a strong need to stretch, but overstretching can contribute to instability. It recommends identifying the areas that genuinely need stretching rather than repeatedly stretching the areas that are already highly mobile. (Ehlers-Danlos Society)
Sometimes what feels like “tightness” is actually a muscle working hard to stabilise a joint.
That can change the question from:
“How can I stretch this muscle more?”
to:
“Why is this muscle working so hard?”
The biggest consideration: don’t chase your end range
For someone who is naturally flexible, this is probably the most important part of the article.
In a typical yoga class, you might hear cues such as:
- “Go a little deeper.”
- “Straighten the knee.”
- “Relax into the pose.”
- “Let gravity take you further.”
- “See if you can reach a little further.”
These cues aren’t necessarily appropriate for everyone.
If you are hypermobile, more range isn’t necessarily more progress.
You may already have more range than you need.
Instead, consider working within a range where you can maintain:
- Muscle engagement
- Joint control
- Comfortable breathing
- Good alignment
- Awareness of where the joint is
- A feeling of stability
Which yoga movements may need modifying?
There isn’t a universal list of yoga poses that every hypermobile person needs to avoid.
This is because hypermobility can affect different joints to different degrees, and people’s symptoms vary considerably.
However, some movements may need particular care.
Deep forward folds
If you are naturally flexible, it can be tempting to allow the body to completely relax into a forward fold.
Instead, consider:
- Keeping a slight bend in the knees
- Hinging from the hips
- Maintaining some muscular engagement
- Using blocks
- Avoiding hanging heavily through the spine
- Coming only as far as you can comfortably control
The goal is not to touch the floor.
Deep backbends
Large spinal extension can be very accessible to some hypermobile people.
This doesn’t necessarily mean it is beneficial.
Instead of using your maximum spinal range, consider focusing on:
- Strength through the back
- Control through the pelvis
- Stability around the shoulders
- Even distribution of movement through the spine
- Comfortable breathing
Avoid forcing yourself into a large backbend simply because you can.
Deep twists
Twists can also become very large in a hypermobile body.
Rather than trying to rotate as far as possible, focus on:
- Maintaining control
- Lengthening through the spine
- Moving from the appropriate parts of the body
- Avoiding forcing the end range
- Using a smaller range if necessary
Knees
Hyperextension of the knees is common in people who are hypermobile.
You may find that “straightening” your leg actually means moving beyond neutral.
Instead, think about:
lengthening the leg without locking the knee backwards.
A tiny amount of softness in the knee may provide much better control.
Elbows
The same principle applies to the elbows.
If your elbows naturally move beyond a straight position, avoid deliberately pushing them backwards in weight-bearing postures such as:
- Plank
- Downward Dog
- Tabletop
- Four-point kneeling
- Upward-facing positions
Think about actively supporting yourself rather than hanging into the joint.
What about stretching?
This is one of the areas where yoga and hypermobility can sometimes seem like an awkward combination.
Yoga is often associated with flexibility, but flexibility isn’t necessarily what someone with hypermobility needs more of.
Gentle stretching can still have a place if a particular muscle genuinely feels restricted.
The important distinction is between:
Stretching a genuinely tight muscle
and
pushing an already mobile joint further into its available range.
If you repeatedly stretch the same hypermobile area because it feels temporarily relieving, you may actually be reinforcing the cycle of instability and muscular overwork.
If you are unsure whether an area needs stretching or strengthening, a physiotherapist familiar with hypermobility can help assess this.
What might a hypermobility-friendly yoga practice look like?
A well-adapted yoga practice doesn’t have to be boring or restrictive.
It can still include a wide variety of postures.
The emphasis simply shifts towards control rather than maximum range.
Standing postures
You may be able to include:
- Mountain Pose
- Warrior I
- Warrior II
- Chair Pose
- Supported Triangle
- Side Angle
- Standing balance poses
Focus on maintaining active support rather than locking into your joints.
Balance work
Try:
- Tree Pose with wall support
- Supported Warrior III
- Heel raises
- Single-leg balance
- Slow weight transfers
Use support when you need it.
Using a wall doesn’t make a balance pose less valuable.
Strengthening
You may benefit from movements such as:
- Chair Pose
- Supported lunges
- Bridges
- Bird Dog
- Modified plank
- Side-lying strengthening
- Controlled squats
- Calf raises
These can be adapted to your individual ability.
Gentle mobility
Mobility work can focus on movement quality rather than increasing range.
For example:
- Gentle spinal movements
- Controlled hip movements
- Shoulder mobility
- Ankle mobility
- Pelvic movement
- Gentle rotations within a comfortable range
What about restorative yoga?
Restorative yoga can be a useful way to slow down and work with the nervous system, particularly for people who experience pain, fatigue or muscle tension.
But there is an important consideration for hypermobility:
Supported does not automatically mean stable.
A bolster or cushion can allow you to relax very deeply into a position.
For someone with hypermobility, that may occasionally mean relaxing into a joint rather than allowing the muscles to provide appropriate support.
Restorative practice can therefore be adapted by:
- Using enough support without allowing joints to collapse
- Avoiding extreme ranges
- Keeping joints comfortably supported
- Using blankets or blocks to prevent excessive movement
- Choosing positions that feel stable rather than simply relaxing
- Coming out of a pose if you feel aching or instability afterwards
Restorative yoga doesn’t have to mean completely switching off your muscles.
Sometimes comfortable support and gentle awareness are more appropriate than total relaxation.
What if I feel tight all the time?
This is a common question.
It can feel strange to hear that you shouldn’t stretch when your muscles constantly feel tight.
But muscles may become tight because they are working hard to provide stability.
If a joint is naturally very mobile, the surrounding muscles may spend a lot of time helping to control it.
That can contribute to:
- Muscle fatigue
- Aching
- Tightness
- Spasms
- A feeling that you constantly need to stretch
This doesn’t mean that every sensation of tightness is caused by hypermobility, but it is worth considering whether strengthening and movement control might be more useful than repeatedly increasing flexibility.
A physiotherapist can help identify what is actually driving your symptoms. (Ehlers-Danlos Society)
⸻
What about pain?
Pain associated with hypermobility can be complicated and varies considerably between individuals.
A useful yoga practice should not be based on the idea that you need to push through pain to become stronger or more flexible.
Instead, pay attention to how your body responds:
- During the practice
- Immediately afterwards
- Later that day
- The following day
A particular movement may feel fine while you are doing it but lead to increased symptoms afterwards.
This is useful information.
If a movement repeatedly causes a flare-up, it may need to be modified, reduced or temporarily removed.
The Ehlers-Danlos Society recommends adjusting exercise when it causes significant pain, new symptoms, worsening symptoms or a reduction in function. (Ehlers-Danlos Society)
Pacing matters
For some people with hypermobility-related conditions, symptoms can fluctuate considerably.
You may have a day when you feel capable of doing far more than usual, followed by a significant increase in symptoms.
This can create a cycle of:
feeling good → doing lots → flare-up → needing to rest → feeling better → doing lots again.
Gradual progression and pacing can help reduce this “boom and bust” pattern.
The right amount of exercise is individual.
Starting with manageable amounts and gradually increasing activity can be more sustainable than trying to make large changes quickly. (Ehlers-Danlos Society)
Choosing the right yoga class
If you are hypermobile, the teacher’s approach can make a big difference.
Look for a teacher who:
- Understands hypermobility
- Doesn’t assume that flexibility is always a positive
- Offers alternatives
- Doesn’t encourage you to push into your maximum range
- Understands joint stability
- Uses props
- Allows you to work at your own pace
- Is comfortable with you choosing a smaller range
- Understands that two people with hypermobility may have completely different needs
A good yoga class shouldn’t make you feel that you have to demonstrate how flexible you are.
What should I tell my yoga teacher?
It can be helpful to tell your teacher:
- Which joints are hypermobile
- Whether you experience pain
- Whether you experience joint instability
- Whether you have had dislocations or subluxations
- Which movements aggravate your symptoms
- Whether you have a formal diagnosis of HSD or hEDS
- Whether you have any other relevant medical conditions
You don’t need to provide a long medical history.
Simply giving your teacher enough information to understand how your body behaves can help them offer better adaptations.
When should I speak to a healthcare professional?
If you have significant pain, repeated joint dislocations or subluxations, unexplained weakness, recurrent injuries or symptoms that are interfering with everyday life, it is worth discussing this with your GP or an appropriate healthcare professional.
A physiotherapist with experience in hypermobility can be particularly helpful in assessing:
- Joint stability
- Muscle strength
- Movement patterns
- Proprioception
- Balance
- Which areas genuinely need mobility work
- Which areas may benefit more from strengthening
Exercise programmes for HSD and hEDS are generally most useful when they are individualised and progressed appropriately. Research supports therapeutic exercise and motor-control training, although more research is still needed to establish the most effective approaches and dosages. (PubMed)
Practical tips for practising yoga with hypermobility
1. Don’t use flexibility as your measure of progress. Being able to go further isn’t necessarily a sign that your practice is improving.
2. Work within a controlled range. You don’t always need to use your full available range of movement.
3. Avoid locking your joints. Pay particular attention to knees, elbows and other joints that naturally move beyond neutral.
4. Build strength. Strength and muscular control are particularly important for supporting hypermobile joints.
5. Slow down. Slower movement can give you more opportunity to feel and control what your joints are doing.
6. Use props. Blocks, straps, walls, chairs and bolsters can all help you find a more stable position.
7. Don’t automatically stretch because you feel tight. Consider whether the area may actually need strength, control or a change in movement pattern.
8. Pay attention to how you feel afterwards. Your response later in the day or the following day can be just as important as how a pose feels during class.
9. Progress gradually. More isn’t necessarily better, particularly if increasing activity quickly causes a flare-up.
10. Remember that modification isn’t failure. A smaller, stronger and more controlled version of a pose may be much more useful than the deepest version you can achieve.
Summery
Being hypermobile does not mean that you cannot practise yoga.
For many people, movement and exercise can be an important part of managing symptomatic hypermobility.
The key difference is that your yoga practice may need to focus less on gaining flexibility and more on strength, stability, proprioception and movement control.
If you are naturally flexible, you may already have plenty of range.
Your challenge may be learning how to control that range rather than continually increasing it.
This doesn’t mean avoiding movement or being afraid of your flexibility.
It means becoming more aware of where your joints are, developing the strength to support them and finding the range in which you feel both mobile and stable.
Yoga can still be enjoyable, varied and challenging.
You may simply find that your measure of progress changes from:
“How far can I go?”
to:
“How well can I control the movement?”
If you have HSD, hEDS or significant symptoms associated with hypermobility, particularly recurrent joint instability, pain or dislocations, consider working with a healthcare professional or physiotherapist who understands hypermobility alongside your yoga practice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I do yoga if I am hypermobile?
Yes. Yoga can be adapted for people with hypermobility. The emphasis may need to be on strength, stability, proprioception and movement control rather than increasing flexibility.
Should hypermobile people avoid stretching?
Not necessarily. Gentle stretching may be appropriate for genuinely tight muscles, but repeatedly stretching already hypermobile joints can potentially contribute to instability. Individual assessment is useful if you are unsure what you need. (Ehlers-Danlos Society)
Is yoga good for hypermobility?
Yoga may provide opportunities to develop strength, balance, body awareness and controlled movement. However, the suitability of particular practices depends on the individual’s joints, symptoms and diagnosis.
Should I avoid end-range yoga poses?
If you are hypermobile, it is generally sensible to be cautious about repeatedly pushing joints to their maximum range. Working slightly inside your available range can allow greater muscular control.
Why do I feel tight if I am hypermobile?
Muscles may feel tight because they are working hard to help stabilise joints. This doesn’t mean that more stretching is always the answer.
Can yoga make hypermobility worse?
Yoga itself does not necessarily make hypermobility worse, but repeatedly forcing joints into extreme ranges or practising without adequate control may aggravate symptoms or contribute to instability in some people.
Is restorative yoga suitable for hypermobility?
It can be, but positions still need to be considered. Being supported doesn’t necessarily mean that a joint is stable. Some people may need to maintain gentle muscular engagement rather than completely relaxing into their end range.
Should I tell my yoga teacher that I am hypermobile?
Yes. This allows your teacher to understand that you may need different cues and modifications, particularly around joint locking, end-range movement and stretching.
Do I need physiotherapy if I am hypermobile?
Not everyone with joint hypermobility needs physiotherapy. However, if you have significant pain, instability, recurrent injuries, subluxations or dislocations, a physiotherapist experienced in hypermobility can help develop an appropriate strengthening and movement-control programme. (Ehlers-Danlos Society)
References
- The Ehlers-Danlos Society. Physical Therapy. Guidance on exercise, strengthening, movement control, proprioception and stretching in EDS and HSD. (Ehlers-Danlos Society)
- Russek L, Simmonds J, et al. The Evidence-Based Rationale for Physical Therapy Treatment of Children, Adolescents, and Adults Diagnosed With Joint Hypermobility Syndrome/Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. American Journal of Medical Genetics Part C: Seminars in Medical Genetics. 2017;175(1):158–167. (Ehlers-Danlos Society)
- Castori M, Tinkle B, Levy H, et al. A Framework for the Classification of Joint Hypermobility and Related Conditions. The Ehlers-Danlos Society. (Ehlers-Danlos Society)
- The Ehlers-Danlos Society. Diagnostic Criteria. Information on assessment and classification of joint hypermobility and EDS. (Ehlers-Danlos Society)
- The Ehlers-Danlos Society. Hypermobility Spectrum Disorders (HSD). Information on the symptoms and presentation of HSD. (Ehlers-Danlos Society)
- Engelbert RHH, Juul-Kristensen B, Pacey V, et al. The evidence-based rationale for physical therapy treatment of children, adolescents and adults diagnosed with joint hypermobility syndrome/hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. American Journal of Medical Genetics Part C: Seminars in Medical Genetics. 2017;175(1):158–167. (Ehlers-Danlos Society)
- Physical therapy interventions in generalized hypermobility spectrum disorder and hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome: a scoping review. Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine. 2023. (PubMed)
- The Ehlers-Danlos Society. Chronic Fatigue in Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome Hypermobile Type and Hypermobility Spectrum Disorder. Information on pacing and activity management. (Ehlers-Danlos Society)
Please note: This article is for general educational purposes and is not intended to diagnose, treat or replace individual medical advice. Hypermobility exists on a spectrum and people can have very different symptoms and needs. If you have significant pain, recurrent joint instability, subluxations, dislocations or a diagnosed connective-tissue disorder, seek individual advice from an appropriate healthcare professional.
Topics Covered in This Article
- What hypermobility is
- The difference between joint hypermobility, HSD and hEDS
- Whether you can practise yoga if you are hypermobile
- How yoga may support strength and stability
- Proprioception and body awareness
- Balance and coordination
- Why more flexibility isn’t necessarily better
- Working with your end range
- Forward folds and hypermobility
- Backbends and hypermobility
- Twists and hypermobility
- Knee and elbow hyperextension
- Stretching when you are hypermobile
- Strength and joint stability
- Restorative yoga
- Muscle tightness and hypermobility
- Pain and exercise
- Pacing and managing flare-ups
- Choosing an appropriate yoga class
- Working with a yoga teacher
- When to seek professional advice
- Practical tips for practising yoga with hypermobility
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