Exercises for stiffness
Every muscle is elastic in nature, though with time and age it seems almost impossible to return to the flexibility you had when you were a child or a youngster. You may have taken few lessons of yoga in school but you took your freedom of movement for granted. People realise late in their lives how important their body and their health is, but it gets more and more difficult as you get older. Still, your muscle is elastic and can slowly change its nature. Be patient and try to unwind and relax when you practise these postures.

Caution: Practise these exercises very slowly without any jerks so that you don’t pull your muscles or overstrain your ligaments.

Exercise 1

Exercise 1

• Stand on the knees, keeping them slightly apart, the feet stretched out
• Turn the body slightly, reach back with the right hand and catch hold of the left foot
• Stretch the left arm back over the head as shown
• Hold for as long as comfortable, breathing normally
• Slowly return to the start position
• Repeat the same with the other side.

Exercise 2

Exercise 2

• Lie on your back, your arms by your side, the palms facing down
• Bend the legs and position them a foot apart
• Press the palms down and slowly raise the hips
• Hold the position for 30 seconds, breathing normally
• Slowly lower your hips to the ground.

Exercise 3

Exercise 3

• Bend the knees and pull them towards the chest as shown
• Roll on your back in a forward-backward motion
• Hold for 10 - 30 seconds
• Keep breathing normally.