It needs no convincing that adding Yoga to your daily routine has abundant benefits. Something as simple as a five-minute flow can be incredibly rewarding! Stretching, a Vital part of yoga has numerous positives –
1. Enhanced Muscle Health
The most evident merit of stretching is to relieve stiff, sore muscles. Whether it’s from a tough game from your last football weekend or from sitting at a desk all day, stretching almost instantly releases the tension and alleviates the stiffness.
2. Quickest Stress Reliever
Today, stress is one of the biggest threats to mental and physical health, with almost 63% of the population suffering from it. Stretching is one of the easiest and quickest ways to combat stress. A brief stretch with proper deep breathing provides repose and the much-needed clarity during the day.
3. Increased Flexibility and Range of Motion
Our body is inextricably connected; every bone and muscle; every joint and ligament. If any of the muscles around a joint aren’t flexible, movement efficiency decreases considerably, limiting your full range of motion and can cause serious injuries. Regular stretching keeps the muscles from cramping and overtime will even increase your range of motion!
Regular stretching improves the circulation of blood across your body. This improves blood flow to your muscles and drastically reduces recovery time and muscle soreness.
All in all, a few minutes invested in stretching every day, is indispensable for a healthy lifestyle. Yoga may seem difficult to pursue, but in actuality, it is not demanding at all. A few poses every day and you’re guaranteed to see the difference in how your body feels. Here are 10 yoga stretches that you must add to your daily workout regime –
1. Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward facing dog):
Purpose – to finely stretch your back, hamstrings, calves and Achilles tendon.
Adho Mukha Svanasana
Begin with a table top position, with your hands aligned to your shoulders and fingers spread wide.
Tuck your toes and gently raise your body by the hips whilst straightening your elbows and knees, forming the shape of an inverted ‘V
Ensure that your toes point outwards, ears touch your inner arms allowing you to gaze at your navel.
