There are many exercises that strengthen joints and muscles through moderate stress. We have selected the most effective practices that can be used to "develop" and strengthen problem areas. A nice bonus is that none of the exercises require special training.
Sedentary lifestyle and long stay in front of the computer can play a cruel joke on the body. Experts recommend performing a special complex every day to improve the he alth of the joints: it includes several exercises aimed at warming up, moving and strengthening the joints of the whole body. Practice these asanas daily to relieve pain and discomfort.
• Sankochasana: Toe Pose
Squat on your toes, lower your pelvis to your heels, join your palms above your head in a salutation pose. Knees together, back straight. Balance on your toes. Breathing is natural. The exercise strengthens the muscles of the back and legs, develops balance.
What to do if you can't do the exercise correctly?
If you cannot maintain balance in this position, rest your hands on the floor. If you can't squat on your heels at all, balance on your toes with your legs straight, palms together overhead.
Contraindications: knee injuries. A doctor's consultation is required.
• Padanguli Vajrasana: Diamond Toe Pose
Lift yourself up and rest your toes on the floor, lower your pelvis to your heels, bring your palms together at chest level, as if in greeting. Stand with your back straight. Keep your balance and watch your breathing. Performing the asana will relieve tension from the front thigh of the bent leg, strengthen the muscles of the supporting leg, and develop balance and stability.
What to do if you can't do the exercise correctly?
If you have difficulty balancing on one leg, lean against a chair or wall for more stability. This exercise can also be done while lying on your stomach.
Contraindications: none.
• Virabhadrasana II: Warrior Pose II
Place your feet wide apart, parallel to each other. Turn the left foot 90 degrees to the left and the right foot slightly inward. As you exhale, bend your left leg. Aim for a 90 degree angle. The left knee is over the left heel. The right leg is straight. Raise your arms to the sides to the line of the shoulders. Turn your head to the left. The gaze is directed to the hand.
Take 7-10 breaths. Breathing is even, calm. Then relax your arms along your body. Straighten your left leg. Place your feet parallel to each other. Return to starting position. Repeat the same on the other side. The pose strengthens the joints of the legs, the muscles of the legs and the back, helps increase endurance, develops coordination and balance.
What to do if you can't do the exercise correctly?
Pull yourself up and straighten your front leg slightly to ease the load on your thigh. Gently place your hands on your hips to release tension and fatigue from your shoulders. Place your feet firmly on the mat to activate your leg muscles. This will help improve support and balance.
Contraindications: hip and knee injuries. A doctor's consultation is required.
• Hayarut Hasana: Horseman Pose
Place your legs wide apart. Feet facing away. Crouch slightly. Place your hands behind your back and curl them, stretching your shoulders. Pull the crown up. The back is straight. Breathing is natural. Get up. Straighten your legs. Hands along the body. Bring your feet together. This pose strengthens the muscles of the pelvis, legs and back, develops balance and a sense of stability.
What to do if you can't do the exercise correctly?
Lean the buttocks slightly forward, with the crown pulled up so that the back is aligned in a straight line from the tailbone to the top of the head. If you find it difficult to hold them in front of your chest or your back is tired, rest your hands on your hips.
Contraindications: varicose veins. A doctor's consultation is required.
• Ardha Chandrasana: Crescent Pose
Curve your legs. Place your hands on the floor. Lift your right leg up and back. Try to stretch your left leg as much as possible. Avoid discomfort. Now raise your right hand up. Turn the pelvis and chest to the right. Take 5-7 breaths. With your right hand, pull yourself up. Breathing is even, calm. Lower your right hand to the floor first, then your feet. Bend your knees. Lift the housing. Return to starting position. Do the same on the other side. Thanks to this exercise, you will strengthen the muscles of your legs and back, and improve your sense of balance and coordination.
What to do if you can't do the exercise correctly?
If you can't rest your hand on the floor, use extra support by placing a block or stack of books under your palm. If you can't balance on one leg, try leaning your back slightly against a wall. Over time, as you begin to feel more confident, you can gradually move away from the wall.
Contraindications: none.
• Akshinyasana: Side Leg Stretch Pose in Semi-Squatting Position
Place your legs wide apart. Do a deep squat on the left leg, straighten the right leg. The left hand is in front, the right hand is behind the body. Push into the floor with your left foot. Keep your balance and watch your breathing. Repeat the same on the other side. This exercise develops flexibility in the legs and hips, as well as coordination.
What to do if you can't do the exercise correctly?
If in the squatting position the heel of the bent leg does not rest on the floor, place a block or stack of books under it to create additional support.
Contraindications: pregnancy, hip or knee injuries. A doctor's consultation is required.
• Suptatrivi krama kriya: movement with extended legs in lying position
Lie on your back. Place your palms under your lower back, alternately raise and lower your legs extended upwards. Keep doing the moves. The exercise helps develop leg strength, strengthen the hip joints and abdominal muscles.
What to do if you can't do the exercise correctly?
The difficulty in performing this movement may lie in the lack of flexibility in the leg muscles, so it makes sense to simultaneously perform poses that improve flexibility. For example, forward bends in a sitting and standing position, triangle pose. But this move is still worth doing, even with bent knees.
Contraindications: none.
Proper Gymnastics Planning
The beginning of the exercise must necessarily begin with warming up the whole body. Even if the main load falls on the muscles of the legs, the whole body should be stretched before strengthening exercises, because many joints will move during gymnastics
Warm your neck first. To do this, perform slow and smooth tilts of the head forward, backward and sideways
Then warm up the shoulders: raise and lower the shoulders vertically several times, then perform circular movements back and forth
To warm up the arms, slowly rotate them at the elbow and wrist joints, first in one direction, then in the other
Stand on your toes and raise your arms above your head. Next, lower yourself onto one foot and spread your arms out to the sides as wide as you can. Repeat several times. This will warm up the chest and back muscles
Do several shallow forward and side bends
Stand up on your toes a few times, then rotate the knee and foot, first clockwise and then counter-clockwise. Then stand next to the wall and gently swing your leg back and forth a few times
The exercise should end with a slight stretch: stretching up on the toes with raised arms, forward bends while lying down and successively pulling the knees to the chest
