With the onset of winter, the Air Quality Index (AQI) has reached dangerous levels in all the big cities of the country including Delhi-NCR. Amidst the poisonous mist and smog floating in the air, breathing in the open air in the morning and evening is no less than a challenge. Usually, people run in parks or go to the gym early in the morning to improve their health, but in this era of severe air pollution, going out and doing heavy workouts can cause serious harm to the lungs instead of benefits. When inhaled deeply, extremely fine particles dissolved in the environment, such as PM 2.5 and PM 10, reach the depths of the lungs directly through the respiratory tract and can dissolve in the blood and make the heart and other sensitive organs of the body sick. Health experts clearly believe that when pollution levels are very high, the most sensible step is to avoid going out in the open. In such circumstances, there is no need to compromise on your daily routine and fitness, because 5 traditional yoga asanas done in the safe environment of home prove to be the most effective and safe option to keep your entire body energetic, flexible and healthy.
There can be no better exercise than Surya Namaskar to activate the muscles of the entire body while staying indoors. Surya Namaskar is not just a simple asana, but it is a complete sequenced cycle of 12 powerful and scientifically proven asanas. Its practice works like magic in removing stiffness and lethargy from the body after waking up in the morning. When you repeat this entire set of 12 steps rhythmically in coordination with the breath, blood circulation in every vein from head to toe improves rapidly. It increases lung function, brings great flexibility to the spine and accelerates metabolism. Doing 5 to 10 rounds of Surya Namaskar regularly provides cardiovascular strength and keeps you full of energy and freshness throughout the day without lifting any heavy weights.
Due to sitting in front of computer screen for hours all day and being confined to homes due to pollution, the problem of back pain, cervical and shoulder stiffness increases rapidly in people. In such a situation, Cobra Pose i.e. Bhujangasana is no less than a boon for the body. This exercise, which involves lifting the chest with the help of palms while lying on the stomach, mainly strengthens the back, waist and abdominal muscles by deeply stretching them. When you come into Bhujangasana posture, your chest circumference expands, which directly helps the lungs to expand and absorb more oxygen. Additionally, this asana stimulates digestion by applying gentle pressure on the internal abdominal organs and raises the energy levels in the body. By practicing Bhujangasana with deep breaths 5 to 7 times in the morning on an empty stomach, the spine remains flexible and the posture of the body remains perfect.
Due to change in weather and fear of pollution, people remain indoors and their physical activities suddenly reduce. The first impact of decreased mobility is on our digestive system, due to which complaints of gas formation, sour belching, indigestion, constipation and heaviness in the stomach become common. Pawanmuktasana is the most effective yoga posture to get relief from all these problems in a natural way. As the name suggests, this asana helps in expelling excess and contaminated gas stuck in the intestines out of the body. This process of lying on the back, bending the knees and touching them to the chest is also helpful in reducing the fat in the lower abdomen and reactivates the dormant metabolism. By doing Pawanmuktasana 8 to 10 times daily, the stomach feels light, the digestive fire becomes intense and the body remains amazingly energetic.
Virabhadrasana i.e. Warrior Pose is an unmatched exercise to strengthen the muscles of legs, thighs and hips without going to the gym. Virabhadrasana improves body balance, increases mental concentration and tones the entire lower body wonderfully. This asana doubles the overall stamina of the body by adding strength to the calves and thighs. Along with this, you must include the practice of Tadasana at the end of your yoga practice. Tadasana may seem like a very simple exercise, but this posture of standing on toes and stretching both the hands towards the sky opens every joint of the spine. It brings a pleasant stretch throughout the body, corrects poor body posture caused by incorrect sitting or lying posture, and calms the nervous system. By doing Tadasana for just 5 to 10 minutes in the morning, the mind gets concentrated and the body starts feeling completely light and refreshed.