Fitness with Yoga Exercises - Energy Meditation Zeal Rigour Excercise

Basic exercises for back pain relief

Today we continue with exercises that will give you some relief from back-pain. Work at your own pace and at your own level of flexibility. The goal is to stretch the muscles in a way that they are not strained while doing something they may not have done for a long time.

Exercise 1

Exercise 1

• Lie on stomach, legs straight, feet together, soles upward, forehead on floor
• Place palms below and to side of the shoulders, elbows tucked in close to the body
• Inhale, slowly raise head and upper body, keeping navel on the floor, elbows bent as shown
• Hold, breathing normally
• Exhale as you slowly come down to start position.

Exercise 2

Exercise 2

• Lie on stomach, legs straight, feet together, soles upward, forehead on floor
• Place your palms below and to side of the shoulders, elbows tucked in
• Inhale and raise the head and upper body
• Lift both palms off the ground as shown and hold, breathing normally
• Exhale and slowly resume from start position.

Exercise 3

Exercise 3

• Lie on stomach, legs straight, feet together, soles upward
• Interlock the fingers behind the back
• Inhale and pull your arms back, raising head and upper body as shown
• Hold position breathing normally
• Exhale as you come back to start position.

Exercise 4

Exercise 4

• Lie on stomach, legs straight, feet together, arms by side
• Place your palms by your chest, elbows tucked in
• Inhale and raise your upper body till your navel
• Straighten your arms, raise your torso as shown, tuck your toes in and look up
• Hold for 10-30 seconds, breathing normally
• Slowly resume from start position.

Basic back exercises for back pain relief

Today, backache is a common problem among the young as well as the old. There are many causes of backaches - physical, emotional as well as mental. A major contributing factor however, is the lack of sufficient physical exercise, combined with day-to-day activities that gradually weaken and ultimately damage the back.

Yoga, when practiced regularly, can help relieve back pain and strengthen the muscles and ligaments of your back to increase  flexibility.

Exercise 1

Exercise 1

• Lie on your back with your arms by the side
• Breathe in, stretch your arms over your head
• Interlock the fingers and stretch upwards, with feet pointing forward
• Hold the position breathing normally
• Exhale and bring the arms down by your sides.

Exercise 2 A & 2 B

Exercise 2 A

• Lie flat on your back with arms beside you
• Bend your right knee up to your chest, with the foot pointing forward
• Interlock your fingers below the knee and bring the knee close to the chest
• Hold the position for a few seconds and relax the back
• Go back to the starting position
• Repeat with left leg, then go back to start position.

Exercise 2 B
• Now draw both your knees to your chest
• Hold the position, breathing normally Try and relax the back
• Come back to the starting position.

Exercise 3

Exercise 3

• Sit with your legs stretched out
• Place palms behind, as shown, with fingers pointing forward
• Pushing down on the palms, slowly push your chest forward, arch the back and drop the head back, as shown
• Hold the position, breathing normally
• Slowly come back to the starting position.

Asanas that ensure good health for the entire body

Surya Namaskar, or sun salutation, is a combination of eight asanas usually done to warm up before practicing and performing other asanas.  These asanas affect practically every muscle of the body and practicing Surya Namaskar regularly ensures good health, flexibility and strength. Today is the last of the three-part series of the Surya Namaskar asanas.

Exercise 9

Exercise 9

* Inhale and bring your right leg forward, arching the back
* In subsequent rounds, alternate between left and right leg as in step four and step nine.

Exercise 10

Exercise 10

* Bring the left leg forward, stand upright, exhale and bend forward to place palms on the floor as in step three.

Exercise 11

Exercise 11

* Inhale and stretch your arms back over head, palms together as in step two.

Exercise 12

Exercise 12

* Exhale and come back to position one.

Asanas that ensure good health for the entire body

Surya Namaskar, or sun salutation, is a combination of eight asanas usually done to warm up before practicing and performing other asanas.  These asanas affect practically every muscle of the body and practicing Surya Namaskar regularly ensures good health, flexibility and strength. Today is the second of a three-part series of the Surya Namaskar asanas.

Exercise 5

Exercise 5

* Exhale, take the right leg back so that body is in a straight line from head to toe, toes tucked in, fingers pointing forward.

Exercise 6

Exercise 6

* Hold your breath and place knees on floor
* Bend your elbows and touch chest and chin to the ground as shown.

Exercise 7

Exercise 7

* Inhale and stretch the body upwards
* Straighten your elbows and arch the back to look up

Exercise 8

Exercise 8

* Exhale, push back on your arms to raise your hips up
* Tuck chin towards the chest and look at navel
* Heels are flat on floor.

Asanas that ensure good health for the entire body

Surya Namaskar, or sun salutation, is a combination of eight asanas usually done to warm up before practicing and performing other asanas.  These asanas affect practically every muscle of the body and practicing Surya Namaskar regularly ensures good health, flexibility and strength. Today is the first of a three-part series of the Surya Namaskar asanas.

Exercise 1 & 2

Exercise 1

• Stand straight, feet together, palms folded in front of your chest
• Breathe normally.

Exercise 2
• Inhale and keeping palms together, stretch your arms over your head.

Exercise 3

Exercise 3

• Exhale and bend forward from hip, placing your palms on the floor and your head on your knees.

Exercise 4

Exercise 4

• Inhale, take left leg back, bend right knee
• Place both palms on floor, on either side of foot, as shown.

Exercises that will help firm and shape your legs

Yesterday we contracted the leg muscles to increase muscle strength, tone muscles and eliminate fat. As contractions work the muscles, they can also leave them sore and so it is important to now do some asanas that stretch and relax these muscles. These asanas specifically affect the hamstrings, quadriceps and calf muscles. Contracting, toning and stretching these regularly will firm up and shape your legs, improve your figure and make your body swift and agile.

Exercise 1

EXERCISE 1

•  Sit with your legs stretched out, feet together
•  Exhale and bend forward from your hips
•  Hold your toes or heels, touch your forehead to your knees and hold 30-60 seconds
•  Inhale slowly as you raise your arms over your head and return to starting position.

Exercise 2

EXERCISE 2

•  Sitting, bend the right leg so that the heel touches the groin area
•  Inhale slowly stretching both arms up over head
•  Exhale slowly as you bend and stretch forward.  Interlock the fingers and hold your heel
•  Stretch forward placing the chest and abdomen on the thighs and the chin on the knee. Hold 30-60 seconds, breathing normally
•  Inhale slowly as you stretch your arms up and return to starting position
•  Repeat on the other side.

Exercise 3

EXERCISE 3

•  Sit between your heels
•  Holding the heels, lean backwards and place your elbows on the floor with the head and neck stretched backwards
•  Place your palms on the soles of your feet as shown
•  Hold for 10-30 seconds
•  Place palms on floor, press down and slowly return to start position.

Exercise 4

EXERCISE 4

•  From position above, slowly straighten your elbows and lie down on floor
•  Try and keep knees together, place your palms on thighs and hold 30-60 seconds
•  Hold your heels, pushing down on elbows, move up. Press palms down on floor and slowly come up and return to start position.

Exercises that will help contract and tone the leg muscles

We will start working on the legs with asanas that contract and tone the leg muscles. These work specifically on the hamstrings, quadriceps and calf muscles, and also strengthen the ankle and knee joints. Today we feature the remaining three exercises out of the seven, for toning and contracting.

Exercise 5

Exercise 5

•  Stand with feet apart as shown
•  Interlock hands behind head
•  Bend the knees
•  Keeping back straight, pulse up and down 10-20 times.

Exercise 6

Exercise 6

•  Stand with legs wide apart, feet turned out
•  Bend knees, keep back straight
•  Stretch both arms straight above the head. Join palms together
•  Lift the heels and keeping lifted, pulse up and down 10 - 20 times.

Exercise 7

Exercise 7

•  Stand with feet apart, arms above your head, palms together
•  Turn to the left placing left foot four - five feet in front of right foot, toes pointed forward
•  Bend the left knee as shown, bend backwards and look up
•  Hold for 10 - 30 seconds
•  Repeat with other leg.

Exercises that will help contract and tone the leg muscles

We will start working on the legs with asanas that contract and tone the leg muscles. These work specifically on the hamstrings, quadriceps and calf muscles, and also strengthen the ankle and knee joints. Today we feature the first four of seven exercises.

Exercise 1 & 2

Exercise 1
• Stand straight with feet together, both arms stretched out, palms down
• Slowly raise one leg up, toes pointed forward
• Hold for 10 - 30 seconds
• Repeat with other leg.

Exercise 2
• Stand straight with feet together
• Raise arms parallel to ground, palms down
• Bend the knees and raise heels as shown
• Hold for 10 - 30 seconds
• Resume at starting position.

Exercise 3 & 4

Exercise 3
• Stand with legs wide apart, feet turned out
• Bend knees, keep back straight and stretch both arms straight above the head, palms together
• Hold the posture for 10 - 30 seconds.

Exercise 4
• Standing, twist right leg around the left
• Bend elbows, twist forearms around each other with left elbow below, palms together
• Bend the left knee and lower body keeping eyes focused on a fixed point
• Hold for 15-20 seconds and then raise the body and release legs
• Repeat with left leg and left arm.

Exercises that will help you attain flat and toned abs

Till now we have contracted and toned your ab muscles, which can leave muscles sore.  Therefore, it is now important to do some asanas that stretch and relax both, your abs as well as your back muscles.

Done regularly, these three sets of contracting, toning and stretching asanas will give you what we all want – flat and toned abs.

Exercise 1

Exercise 1

•   Lie flat on the stomach, with legs straight, feet together and soles facing upwards
•   Place your palms on the side of your shoulders, and the forehead on the floor
•   Inhale as you slowly pull the upper body upwards. Straighten your arms and arch the back as shown
•   Hold for 30 seconds
•   Breathe out as you slowly return to the starting position.

Exercise 2

Exercise 2

•   Lie on your back. Fold your knees and place your feet near the hips
•   Place your palms underneath your shoulders with fingers pointing towards the feet
•   Raise the hips and arch your back, shifting your weight onto your hands
•   Push up and raise your head and upper body
•   Hold for 10 seconds. Slowly lower the body to the starting position.

Exercise 3

Exercise 3

•   Stand on your knees, keeping them apart
•   Reach back for your heels
•   Push your hips forward and drop your neck back
•   Drop the head back and arch your back, pushing the hips forward
•   Hold for a few seconds and breathe normally
•   Slowly resume the starting position.

Exercise 4

Exercise 4

•   Lie on your stomach, with arms beside you
•   Bend your knees and catch hold of your ankles
•   Push your feet away from the head and raise your upper body as shown
•   Hold for a few seconds, breathing normally
•   Exhale as you lower your body
•   Bend your knees and hold your ankles
•   Push your feet away from your head and raise your upper body, as shown
•   Hold for a few seconds, breathing normally
•   Exhale as you lower your body.

Exercises that are a must for a flat stomach

Till now we contracted the ab muscles. After contractions, we must now tone these muscles and the following exercises both contract and relax these muscles. Toning exercises are a must for a flat stomach and, practiced regularly, will give you a well-toned and flat abdomen.

Exercise 1

Exercise 1

•  Lie on back; keep body straight
•  Slowly raise legs to 90 degrees, foot flat, toes in and hold for 15 -20 seconds
•  Slowly lower the legs to starting position
•  Repeat 10 times.

Exercise 2

•  Lie on back, bend knees as shown
•  Interlock hands behind head, keeping elbows close to head
•  Lift up exhaling, hold for 15-20 seconds breathing normally
•  Come back to starting position
•  Repeat 10 - 20 times

Exercise 3

•  Lie on back and bend knees, interlock legs, position as shown
•  Interlock hands behind head
•  Exhale as you lift up, hold for count of 15-20 breathing normally
•  Come back to starting position
•  Repeat 10-20 times.

Exercise 4

•  Lie on back, legs at 90 degrees, feet interlocked as shown
•  Interlock hands behind head; raise upper body exhaling as you come up
•  Hold for count of 15-20, breathing normal
•  Inhale as you return to starting position
•  Repeat 10 - 20 times.