3 Effective Yoga Asanas To Improve Your Flexibility

Do your bones and muscles feel stiff at times? Do you feel fatigued and unable to stretch or go about your everyday chores? If your answer is a yes, it may mean that you need to get more flexible. A lack of exercise can make your joints stiff. We suggest yoga as a remedy for not just ailments but also to improve flexibility! Read our post and learn how yoga can make you flexible like a gymnast!

Yoga has been a popular exercise routine since ages. It has various health benefits. Moreover, yoga provides instant gratification and is good for alleviating anxiety and stress. All these aspects hold great importance in the world of fitness.
A monotonous exercise routine can cause stagnation. This is where yoga plays a part. It changes the mental and physical capacity rapidly, thus preparing your body and mind for enduring health benefits.

Who Can Perform Yoga?

Any individual can do yoga for health benefits. Usually, local gyms and yoga studios offer yoga sessions. People of all age groups are eligible for yoga(. However, the yoga postures (asanas) might vary depending upon the age and physical health of the individual. Also, if you have a medical condition, consult your health care provider before attempting yoga.

Yoga And Flexibility:

Initially, when you start yoga, you may experience difficulty performing the asanas. This is because your body is stiff and yoga requires a flexible body. For instance, many beginners don’t feel comfortable with asanas like vajrasna and sukhasna that are an important part of pranayama (breathing exercise
Yoga is based on stretching exercises. Stretching provides the required level of flexibility. However, the process demands extreme determination and regular practice. Practicing yoga asanas two times a day can help improve the flexibility of the body at a fast pace.
We list some effective yoga asanas that help improve flexibility here:

1. Uttanasana (Standing Forward Bend):

The asana targets the hamstrings. The muscles run along the anterior part of the thighs. These muscles are usually tight and can cause a backache. In the yoga posture, you have to form a standing forward bend to stretch the hamstrings. You can also avoid hyperextension by micro-bending the knees.
During the asana, make sure you keep your hips over the ankles. You may not get desired results if your hips creep too far back.

2. Eka Pada Rajakapotasana (Pigeon Pose):

It is an amazing pose that helps open your hips. However, it can be slightly difficult for those with tight hips. It is recommended to use different props during the asana. In due course, your hip would come to the ground on the side of the leg on forward.
If you don’t feel this happening, increase the padding to make the floor reach the buttocks. After you have enough support, try and bend yourself towards the front. The added pressure on your front leg will help to open up further. However, don’t do any asana forcefully, as this can lead to injury.
Once you get used to the asana, you can move a step further to Agnistambhasana (Double Pigeon).

3. Agnistambhasana (Double Pigeon Pose):

This pose is also referred as the fire log pose. Keep your feet loose and shins parallel to each other. Maintain the maximum possible distance between the shins. Putting it simple, imagine them as stacked logs. However, you can skip this asana if you find it difficult.
Some other yoga asanas that help to improve flexibility are as follows:

• Konasana
• Kamarchakrasna
• Baddha konasna
• Hanuman asana
• Dhanurasana
• Paschimotanasana
• Padmasana
• Trikonasana

Besides hips and hamstrings, you may also experience stiffness in your shoulders due to prolonged driving or sitting in front of the computer. You can overcome the stiffness by taking frequent stretching breaks.

Tips To Increase Flexibility:

Lactic acid deposits are the cause of muscular fatigue. Yoga asanas for stretching help release this lactic acid into the bloodstream from the muscles. This makes muscular contraction easier. While performing yoga for flexibility, keep certain tips in mind to prevent injuries.

1. Do not try to stretch the body excessively. It may cause internal injuries associated with yoga.
2. Begin with a basic yoga sequence. Try asanas that are easy to do. Once you get used to the sequence after doing yoga for about 3-4 weeks, your body would be prepared for asanas associated with flexibility.
3. Increase the number of repetitions for any stretching yoga asana. Go slow with the movements. Concentrate on the target muscle while doing movement or performing the asana.
4. Warm up before any exercise is crucial. Before you start stretching poses or yoga asanas, make sure you warm up for about 5-10 minutes. It makes it easier for muscles, ligaments and tendons to stretch during the movements. More importantly, stretching of cold muscles can be a cause for injury.
5. Flexibility improves with the regular practice of asanas. To get desired and noteworthy results, make sure you practice yoga asanas for about 7-8 weeks.
6. Make sure to go slow and gentle with stretching yoga exercises. Try to hold every stretch in a stationary position for about 15-20 seconds. Let the muscle expand slowly. Stop if you feel the muscle hurting at a point. Go on to increase the holding time to 30 seconds while increasing the stretch every time.
7. Flexibility improves with weight reduction and removal of toxins from the body.
8. Be regular with yoga practice.
9. Try to control your diet. Go for healthy food choices like leafy greens and raw veggies as salads. These foods are easily digestible. Moreover, they provide better energy levels for exercise and aid weight loss endeavors.
10. After you are through with stretching and other yoga asanas, performing rhythmic breathing (Anulom Vilom) for a minimum of 10 minutes. Conclude your yoga session by relaxing in Shavasana for 8-10 minutes.

In addition to the asanas above and diet suggestions, remember to get enough sleep. Sleep helps you relax better, and energy levels required for yoga asanas or any other workout.