Sitting Too Long While Working from Home? Easy Asanas For The Hips And Spine To Remain Physically Aligned.

Covid-19 has created a major stumbling block in our lives. From connecting to our friends and family over video calls, to having online classes, to conducting meetings over a digital conference, the new normal ain’t so welcoming. Stress, anxiety, fear, anger, irritability, being tired and having a creative block- are the most commonly experienced emotions. As, tackling everything on the plate together with work from home, isn’t something that we would look up to even in our preparedness. 

Hence, walking an extra mile to give yourself the much-needed care; is your best option. Your hips have restrained emotions of fear and agony, which makes you feel being stuck. Whereas, your spine is a part of the central nervous system and holds the entire body together, also where all the stress is held. 

But hey, the good news is that you can actually transform these debilitating emotions into confidence and creativity when you include the following asanas into your life. Also, they work great as a stretching flow when tired of sitting for long hours of work from home. 

• Frog Stretch:

Frog stretch or Mandukasana, opens the hip joints, which reduces the strain on the knees, helps digestion, improves abduction and strengthens the lower back while opening hips. 

How to:

-Start in table pose. Ensure that your hips are directly over your knees.

-Do gown on your forearms and slowly distance your knees. Go as far as you comfortably can. 

-Your hip joint still should be in the same line as your knee joint and your ankles in line with the knees. 

-Toes would be facing left and right, respectively. 

-Feel the stretch while still comfortably breathing. 

-Hold for 30 secs and release slowly. 

• Cobra Pose:

Cobra pose or Bhujangasana, is essential in opening up your heart and lungs, strengthens the spine, firms the buttocks, reduces stress and fatigue and stimulates abdominal organs. 

How to:

-Lie down straight facing the floor, hands beside your chest. 

-Inhale and straighten the arms in a way to lift your chest off the floor.

-Shoulder blades should be firm against the back. 

-Hold this for 30 secs and go back to the initial position slowly. 

• Camel pose:

Camel pose or Ustrasana, stretches the chest, abdomen, quadriceps and hip flexors. It improves the flexibility of the spine, stimulates the nervous system, while also providing strength to the back muscles and improving the posture. 

How to:

-Start by being on your knees hip-distance apart. 

-Not squeezing your buttocks, press your shins and tops of your feet into the floor. 

-Rest your hands on the back of the pelvis, with fingers pointed to the floor. 

-Inhale and lean back with your chin slightly pointed towards your chest and your hands on the back pelvis. 

-For a deeper asana, reach back and touch both of your heels. Keeping the hips directly over the knees.

-Hold for 30 secs and release slowly. 

• Lizard pose:

Lizard pose or the Utthan Pristhasana, stretches the hamstrings, improves flexibility, reduces stress, stretches the hip flexors and strengthens inner thigh muscles.

How to:

-Begin with being in a tabletop position.

-To the outside edge of your right palm, step your right foot forward. (Somewhat a lunge position)

-Next, keep your arms straight and spine flat.

-For a deeper pose, go on your forearms and further straight up your left leg by pressing onto its ball joint. 

-Stay for 30 secs and release. 

Over to you

The situation might be perplexing, but you can always take care of yourself. Simply by doing the above mentioned yoga asanas and ease out the tension on your spine and hip muscle built from either a sedentary lifestyle or work from home.