10 Minutes To Improved Flexibility
Improve Your Flexibility With This Short Sequence
One of the hardest realizations that many of us come to, especially parents of 5-15 year olds, is that we are not as limber as we used to be!
I tried playing soccer with my oldest the other day and while she can move her body any way she wanted to on her way to scoring another goal, I could not! My body was game for a while, but inflexibility got the best of me and down I went! Pulled muscles are never fun, but they are a reality check and that lead me to look for ways to improve my flexibility.
I know I’m not alone on this. Many of us need to improve our flexibility and while on the surface this seems easy, most of us have extremely busy lives! Time is limited to really focus on our own bodies. The good news is that there are ways to improve flexibility while only putting in 10 minutes a day!
The following sequence will help improve your flexibility while not eating up your precious time. See the sequence below and be sure to pass this along to your inflexible friends!
1. Upward Facing Dog
(Urdhvamukhasvanasana)
Begin with lying face down on the floor with your arms just above your hips and the tops of your feet on the floor. Using your core strength and your arms, lift your knees, thighs, and hips off of the floor while pulling your chest outward. Look straight ahead or slightly upward.
Hold for up to 30 seconds and release.
2. Downward Facing Dog
(Adho Mukha Svanasana)
Spread your palms out on your mat and lift your butt straight up in the air until your knees come off the ground and your legs are straight. The key to this pose is keeping your back arched enough and your butt pointed out enough that your lower back is completely straight and not arched at all.
Hold this pose for 30 seconds to stretch your hamstrings and shoulders.
3. Revolved Chair Variation
(Parivrtta Utkatasana)
Begin in chair pose with your knees slightly bent (but still able to see your toes) and your back slightly arched. Reach your right arm down to the outside of your left ankle or as low as you can reach. Reach your left arm up to the ceiling, and try to keep your shoulders stacked.
Gaze upward, and gently try to lean upwards into the twist. This will help you open up your chest and collarbone.
Hold for 30 seconds. Perform on both sides.
4. Standing Half Forward Bend
(Ardha Uttanasana)
Begin standing with your feet shoulder width apart. Keep your arms shoulder length apart, and slowly reach down towards your toes.
The key point about this stretch is that your back must remain STRAIGHT, not bent. You will want to actually try to arch your back and push your butt up in order to keep straight, because your back will want to bend the further down you go.
Hold for 30 seconds.
.5. Camel Pose
(Ustrasana)
This is a great yoga pose to open up the chest and back! One of the many benefits of yoga is that it helps to relieve back pain, and this pose is great for that!
Begin in the kneeling position with your arms at your sides. Reach your right arm around to grab your right ankle. Arch your back and shift forward a bit before you reach around and grab your left ankle. Make sure to keep your knees and legs hip distance apart. Lean into your pelvis and arch your back even more to open your chest further.
Hold for 30 seconds (or less if you feel that it is straining your back too much).
6. Head-to-Knee Forward Bend
(Janu Sirsasana)
Stretch your left leg forward in front of you while keeping your right leg bent with your right foot touching the inside of your left thigh. As you exhale, try to walk your hands out a little further every breath. Don’t just concentration on leaning over, and also focus of lengthening your upper body outward.
Hold for 30 seconds. Perform on both sides.
7. Seated Forward Bend
(Paschimothanasana)
Stretch both of your legs out in front of you.
As you exhale, try to walk your hands out further and bring your chest closer to your thighs. Again, remember to focus on lengthening your upper body as you’re bending over. If you cannot reach your toes, use a strap or towel and “pull” yourself forward.
Hold for 30 seconds.
Remember that for this workout, you will hold each pose for 30 seconds before moving onto the next pose. After all 12 poses have been completed, rest for 1 minute.
See the full article from Avocadu here.
To Your Health And Wellness!
