Ever Trend Zone These beginner yoga relieve chronic pain and body stiffness, and promote flexibility, strength and relaxation.
Yoga practice is a great solution to alleviate chronic body stiffness. It is a common problem for many people and often results from sedentary lifestyles, long hours at a desk, or poor posture. This stiffness can cause discomfort, fatigue and reduced mobility. However, yoga for chronic pain is particularly beneficial for individuals seeking yoga as a means to release muscle tension, provide a holistic treatment to promote flexibility and relaxation throughout the body, and as a way to manage chronic pain. Discover 7 beginner-friendly yoga poses for chronic pain and stiffness.
How can chronic pain yoga help?
Chronic pain yoga incorporates a combination of physical posture, breathing techniques and mindfulness, creating an environment that nurtures both physical and mental health. According to the research cited by PubMed Central, The next point highlights how yoga is beneficial in this respect.
- Increased flexibility: Regular yoga practices can help you stretch tight muscles and effectively relieve areas of stiffness. Improved flexibility can make daily movements smoother and reduce the risk of injury.
- Strengthen your muscles: Many yoga targets major muscle groups to increase strength and stability. This is essential to protect the body and prevent injuries related to muscle weakness.
- Calm down: In addition to its physical benefits, chronic pain yoga can help promote mindfulness and relaxation and lower stress levels. Stress often exacerbates physical discomfort, so practicing yoga can help create a more balanced mental state and contribute to overall physical well-being.
Yoga takes poses to relieve chronic pain and stiffness
As yoga expert Himalayan Siddhaa Akshar suggests, explore seven effective yoga poses for chronic pain that can help reduce body stiffness and discomfort.
1. Balasana (children’s pose)
- advantage: Balasana is a resting pose that helps relax the lower back, lower back and legs, and is a beneficial practice for people dealing with chronic pain. This yoga for chronic pain is especially effective as it is perfect for calming the nervous system and can be a great way to start practicing.
- Activated Muscles: Stretch your hips, hips and thighs.
How to do it:
- Kneel on the floor, stitch the legs together and sit on your heels.
- Remove your knees, hinge forward at your lower back, and lower your torso between your thighs.
- Extend your arms forward or relax on the sides.
- Embracing some breaths, focusing on deepening your breaths and releasing tension.
2. Marujalisanabichirasana (Cat Kou pose)
- advantage: This dynamic pose sequence promotes overall body fluidity by increasing spinal cord mobility and alternating spinal extension and flexion, and is particularly beneficial for individuals who practice yoga for chronic pain.
- Activated Muscles: Stretch the muscles of the spine, neck, shoulders and abdomen.
How to do it:
- Place your palms directly on your hips, under your knees, and start at a tabletop position on your hands and knees.
- Inhale and arch your back (cow pose) by lifting your head and tailbone towards the ceiling.
- Break out, push your chin into your chest, and draw your belly towards your spine, making your spine (the cat pose).
- Continue this flow for 5-10 rounds, synchronizing each movement with breath.
3. Adho Mukha Svanasana (Down-facing dog)
- advantage: This core yoga posture is beneficial for yoga practitioners who are in chronic pain, as it stretches the whole body, especially the hamstrings, calves and shoulders. Chronic pain yoga also helps to lengthen the spine and reduce stiffness in the legs and hips.
- Activated Muscles: Stretch the hamstrings, calves, shoulders and spine.
How to do it:
- Starting at the table top position, lift your hips and back to straighten your legs, and push your toes in.
- Keep your shoulders apart and push your heels towards the ground.
- Your body needs to form an inverse “V” shape.
- Take some breaths so that your head hangs freely between your arms.
4. USTRASANA (Camel Pose)
- advantage: A profound backbend, Ustrasana opens the chest, abdomen and hip flexors. It is beneficial in reducing the stiffness caused by long-term sitting and makes it an excellent yoga option for chronic pain.
- Activated Muscles: Stretch the entire anterior body, including the chest, abdomen, thighs and hip flexors.
How to do it:
- Knee off your knees hips and kneel on the floor.
- Place your hands on your hips, point your fingers and place them down, gently arching your back, pushing your hips forward.
- Optionally, reach your heels with your hands for a deeper stretch.
- Relax your neck and make it look a little higher. Take a few breaths and then slowly return to your knees.
5. Proverbs (Cobra)
- advantage: This gentle backbend helps open the shoulders and chest, strengthen the spine, improve posture, and reduce leaning, and is particularly beneficial for individuals who practice yoga for chronic pain management.
- Activated Muscles: Stretch the chest, shoulders and abdomen while strengthening the muscles in your back.
How to do it:
- Straighten your legs and move your feet across hip-width to the floor.
- Place your hands under your shoulders and push them into the ground as you lift your chest.
- Bend your elbows slightly and return them, then open your shoulders.
- Look up a little and feel the stretch along your spine and take some breaths.
6. SuptaMatsyendrasana (Suprapine spine twist)
- advantage: This gentle twist stretches the shoulders, waist and spine, promotes relaxation, increases spine flexibility, and makes it an excellent pose for those who practice yoga for chronic pain management.
- Activated Muscles: Stretch your spine, hips and chest.
How to do it:
- Lie on your back with your arms spread out on the sides.
- Draw one knee towards the chest and guide it across your body towards the opposite floor, with your shoulders grounded.
- Take some breaths and then switch sides.
7. Shabasana (corpse pose)
- advantage: Shabasanas, usually performed at the end of a yoga session, allow you to relax and absorb the benefits of practice, especially in chronic pain yoga. Chronic pain yoga enhances this experience by allowing individuals to fully experience the relief and recovery that comes from dedicated practice.
- Activated Muscles: This pose does not actively involve muscles, but it promotes overall body relaxation.
How to do it:
- Lie flat on your back with your legs apart a little, relaxing your arms to the sides, and palms facing up.
- Close your eyes and focus on your breath, ensuring your body feels heavy on the ground.
- Stay in this pose for at least 5-10 minutes and let go of the rest of the tension.
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