Yoga can lower your resting heart rate and increase your endurance. It can also thin your blood to prevent blood clots that may lead to heart attacks and strokes.
A long day at the office is hard on your body, but a few quick yoga moves can help counteract it. Try these beginner-friendly poses to build strength and flexibility in your core, hips, and quads.
Bridge Pose
Bridge pose is a yoga move that can be used to stretch out the chest, spine, and hips. It also provides strength to the muscles of the back and hamstrings.
It also helps to improve the circulation of blood in the body and reduces stress and depression. It also stimulates the abdominal organs and thyroid glands, which improves digestion.
To perform Bridge Pose, lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Extend your arms along the floor, palms flat.
Cobra
Cobra is a common move in the warm-up sequence of Sun Salutations, and it’s often used to prepare your body for deeper backbends. It also stretches the chest and lung area, strengthens the spine and shoulders, improves circulation and stimulates the abdominal organs.
However, if you have facet joint problems or spondylolisthesis (a condition that can cause pain when the spine is arched), you may need to modify this pose or avoid it altogether.
The main thing you need to keep in mind is that you don’t want to push into the floor, forcing your back to arch upward. Instead, allow the lift to come naturally as a natural extension of your spine.
Chaturanga
Chaturanga is a fundamental pose in most flow practices, but it requires careful alignment. You can’t simply push your body into the pose with strength alone; you need to activate your core, legs, and arms to keep your body in the correct position.
Keeping your shoulders in line with your elbows is the most important thing you can do to keep yourself safe while practicing this yoga move. If you let your shoulders come lower than your elbows, you’re putting a lot of pressure on your shoulders and wrists, which can lead to injuries.
You can strengthen your arms and shoulders to be able to hold the pose safely by doing this yoga move against a wall. You can also modify this yoga move by bending your elbows less than ninety degrees.
Upward-Facing Dog Modified
Upward-Facing Dog (Urdhva Mukha Svanasana) is one of the most fundamental backbends in yoga. It stretches the chest, shoulders and upper back and is a key part of Sun Salutations.
When practicing this pose, make sure to press firmly through the tops of your feet and engage your thighs as you lift your hips and tuck your toes. Be careful not to slouch your legs into the floor or splay them out, as this can cause unnecessary strain on your lower back.
To get the most out of this pose, start by pressing a yoga mat or folded towel under your feet. This will relieve pressure on your low back and help you find the shape of the pose as you lift your torso off the ground.
Wall Pose
Legs Up the Wall pose is a calming and restorative yoga move that improves circulation, reduces swelling in ankles and feet, promotes lymph flow and alleviates pain. It also helps alleviate stress, fatigue and low back pain.
How It Feels: This pose requires flexibility in your hips, shoulders and knees. To help with this, manoeuvre yourself to lie on your side and stretch your legs up against the wall with your feet hip-distance apart or a little further.
Once you’re comfortable, tuck your tailbone towards the wall and slowly and carefully pick up your legs, keeping your back straight. Hold this position for 2-5 minutes, possibly more if it feels right to you. To come out of this pose, shift your body gently into a seated position and calmly breathe for 30 seconds.