Tag: Yoga

Yoga can help strengthen your digestive system and ease problems such as constipation, acidity, and indigestion. Some specific yoga asanas or poses can even improve metabolism, tone digestive organs, and enhance blood flow to them. Incorporate yogasanas such as ardha matysendrasana, dhanurasana, shalabhasana, and uttanasana into your daily yoga regimen to improve digestion. Asanas like pavanmuktasana and vajrasana can also be performed right after eating to fend off indigestion.

Wondering how to make working out more fun? Take it outside. Go to the beach and give stand-up paddle boarding a shot. Get creative with cardio by trying trail running, clean jogging, and hiking. Move HIIT and yoga outdoors to enjoy them while breathing in fresh air. You could even take to rock climbing if you’re looking for a challenging, adventurous workout.

Yoga can amp up your sex life and give you the stamina you crave. You can work your pelvic floor muscles by zeroing in on your mula bandha (root lock), kandharasana (bridge pose), and the supta baddha konasana (reclining bound angle pose). Wash away fatigue and rejuvenate your body by practising poses like the balasana (child’s pose) and padmasana (lotus pose). Experience improved sex when you practice the upavistha konasana (sitting wide-legged straddle pose).

Yoga, like any exercise, has its own set of rules and precautions you need to abide by to reduce risk of injury. Don’t underestimate the difficulty levels of asanas or overestimate what you can do. As a beginner, learn the foundational or basic poses that form the bedrock of yoga before advancing to more complex asanas. And remember, pain isn’t normal in yoga so if it hurts, stop. Variations of asanas and yoga props like blocks, straps, and pillows can make poses more achievable and less painful.

If you’re a beginner, take some time planning a yoga regimen that's good for you. Build a routine that includes asanas like the child’s pose, tree pose, warrior II, mountain pose, strengthening poses like the cobra pose, flows like the cat/cow pose, inversions like the downward facing dog, and restorative poses like the corpse pose. If you have any health issues, have had surgery, or are pregnant, do check with your instructor that none are contraindicated for your condition.

Sitting for a long time can decline your hips' range of motion. You need a flexible hip to walk, run, or do weight training. To stay flexible and healthy without any pain, work your hips with regular stretching exercises. With no need for equipment or a gym, yoga can work on your hips. From rotating your hips to opening up the outer thighs, these poses will prepare your hips for each workday.

Sleep problems are a common part of aging. But just because you're over 40 doesn't mean it's too late to make a change. Cognitive behavioral therapy controls stress and hot flashes, both of which worsen insomnia. Caffeine sensitivity also increases with age, so try decaf or cutting back. Ask your doctor about changing prescription drugs. Yoga, exercise, and aromatherapy will lower stress and improve sleep quality. The risk for sleep apnea also increases with age, so get yourself checked.

Hip stretching exercises like hip rotations, squatting internal rotations, pigeon stretch and frog pose aim at relaxing the tense hip and thigh muscles. Stiffened hip muscles will prevent you from doing a full squat efficiently. Spending too much time sitting is the reason why hip mobility reduces. Performing stretches regularly will improve your flexibility thereby making it easier for you to do squats.

Hip-openers are some of the most requested asanas in yoga classes because they bring release in many areas that are tight. When your hips are...

If you’re living with kyphosis and seeking non-surgical treatment options, exercise and physical therapy can make a big difference. Yoga asanas like the locust pose or mountain pose and supported backbends help build your core and back muscles. Supplement this with sunlight exposure. Consume vitamin D- and calcium-rich food for better bone health and lowered risk of injury from balance issues or weak bones. A back brace or shoe inserts may help those with developing bones and offer respite from pain for others.

Yoga can be used very efficiently to relieve constipation. Asanas such as pavanmuktasana (wind-releasing pose), natarajasana (lying-down body twist), sarvangasana (shoulder stand), halasana (plow pose), baddha konasana (butterfly pose), mayurasana (peacock pose), and ardha matsyendrasana (half spinal twist) all have proven benefits in relieving such digestive issues. Kapalbhati or skull cleansing also works on the abdominal muscles and assists in bowel movement.

Yoga can work wonders for diabetes management, sparing you unwanted spikes and dips in sugar levels. Some asanas can even massage your insides, revving up your metabolism and kickstarting digestion. Make the bow pose, forward bends, seated half spinal and lying-down body twists part of your go-to exercise regimen. Unwind and calm yourself after a hard day or even reenergize yourself with yoga asanas. Also try yogic walking and yogic breathing for more benefits.

When you’re feeling down, certain habits and activities will turn things around. Try sipping on water, as mild dehydration may cause irritability and fatigue. Soak up the sun to promote serotonin production. Snack on dark chocolate, a sweet treat that reduces cortisol, the stress hormone. Eating fatty fish will also offer brain-friendly omega-3 fats. To recharge the mind, practice aromatherapy, meditation, and yoga. The benefits are even greater when combined.

A morning yoga routine can relax the muscles and recharge the nerves. Practice the corpse pose to calm the mind, followed by skull-shining breathing for cleansing, the bound angle pose for the back, and the wind-relieving pose to relieve bloating. The half spinal twist and downward-facing dog poses to stretch the back and limbs, respectively, while the cat-and-cow pose strengthens the neck. Finally, don’t forget to spend some time in a meditative relaxation for the best results.

Begin your mornings with a short session of yoga to make your body supple. Yoga poses like the mountain pose and the corpse pose and yogic breathing or pranayam can clear your mind, de-cluttering it before you need to take on the day. Asanas like the cat-cow pose, the plank, the downward facing dog and knee-to-nose pose all help stretch your body, limber you up, and boost circulation. And that's besides building core strength. Even your digestion and blood pressure could benefit from the right morning yoga routine, so give these a try!