Trying out different yoga positions can help keep your body flexible, strengthen your muscles and promote good bone health and posture. Keep your form in check with these 8 yoga positions to keep you stretched and limber.
Yoga positions that allow you to stretch your hamstrings are amazing for keeping the body flexible and helping with lower back pain. A classic pose to incorporate into your routine would be downward facing dog, which stretches both hamstrings at the same time.
It will also help stretch your achilles and ankles so to ensure maximum effectiveness, keep your heels glued to the ground during execution.
A second yoga position that gives the hamstrings a good stretch is the wide angle seated forward bend. You will also feel a deep stretch in your hamstrings and should get your legs to spread as wide as they can go without injuring yourself.
The more you practise, the closer you will get to preforming a full split. Also, make sure to keep your legs as straight as possible while executing this pose.
Yoga positions that allow hip flexibility are vital for a wider range in motion with the legs and help prevent tight hips, a problem developed by those who sit at a desk all day. The pigeon pose targets the outside of the hips specifically and calls for quite a bit of flexibility.
If in the beginning you are lacking in elasticity, you won’t really be able to fully sit in this pose. Try instead using your hands to hold yourself up and ease into the stretch until you are able to finally get to the ground and lean into the position.
This next pose allows you to properly stretch your back. A flexible back can prevent a lot of pain and decrease your chances of injury. The king cobra pose is simply the cobra pose but performed with a slight difference, instead of keeping your legs straight behind you, you will bend them upwards at the knee.
That little lift will provide an extra stretch to the back but be careful, this can be overdone and leave you at risk for a serious injury.
Full body yoga positions target several large muscle groups and strengthen your legs and core. The bound angle pose provides a deep stretch to the areas of the groin and inner thighs, strengthens the knees and stimulates circulation, abdominal organs, ovary and prostate function.
This next position, also know as a high lunge, is called a runner’s lunge and provides a wonderful stretch to the groin, hips, legs and arms.
If your hands don’t reach either sides of your foot when you get into lunge position, you can use blocks to help position them.
Not many yoga positions allow for a full body stretch like the extended side angle pose.
It stretches the spine, shoulders, groin, back, spine and waist in a deep twist while lengthening the hips and thighs and strengthening the legs, knees and ankles.
This final yoga position is known as the wide-legged forward bend. It is a triangle shaped stretch that creates space in the backs of the legs, chest, shoulders and lower back.
It helps to strengthen the inner thighs, back legs and spine and is even known for soothing headaches.
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