4 Yoga Asanas That Can Help Improve Your Posture

Maintaining a healthy posture is an absolute necessity, especially if you have a desk job that requires you to be in a seated position for long hours. A proper posture not only helps maintain the balance of the body but also helps build strength and flexibility. A healthy posture would keep you protected from muscle pain, stress and also injuries. Here are four exercises that can help you improve your posture:

1. Balasana or child’s pose

The child’s pose helps in stretching and massaging the spine, thus relieving all the tension from the torso, shoulders and neck.

Steps:

• Kneel down on the ground with your hips resting on your heels.
• Now raise your arms above your head and slowly start bending forward from your waist till you touch the ground with your palms.
• Try to touch your stomach to your thighs. Do not push yourself, if you can’t.
• Hold the pose for five seconds and then slowly rise back up into the starting position.
• You can repeat the exercise five times.

2. Bitilasana or cow pose

The cow pose helps in stretching and lengthening of the spine, glutes and hamstrings.

Steps:

• Get down on all fours with your arms straight, while keeping your palms and elbows in line with your shoulders.
• Make sure that your hips are right above your knees.
• Once you are in the position, inhale and push your back towards the ground in a way that curves your back.
• Hold the position for ten seconds and then exhale and come back to the starting position.
• Repeat the pose at least eight times.

3. Adho mukha svanasana or downward-facing dog pose

The downward-facing dog pose can help relieve back pain while strengthening and aligning the muscles of the back.

Steps:

• Get on all fours while keeping your arms slightly ahead of your shoulders and your palms a little tilted outwards. Make sure that your knees are directly below your hips.
• Now lift up your knees while straightening your legs in a way that your hips point towards the ceiling.
• Push the ground with your palms and toes while keeping your head and neck between your arms. Aim for your back to be in line with your arms. Try to lower the heels of your feel to lie flat on the floor.
• Maintain the pose for 10-15 seconds and then return to the starting position.
• Repeat the pose five times.

4. Setu bandhasana or bridge pose

The bridge pose helps in improving the strength of the muscles that support the spine.

Steps:

• Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground, close to your hips
• While keeping your arms straight beside you and palms facing down, slowly raise your hips about six inches off the ground.
• Hold the pose for five seconds and slowly lower your hips back to the starting position.
• Repeat the exercise ten times.

For more information, read our article on Yoga.

Health articles on News18 are written by myUpchar.com, India’s first and biggest resource for verified medical information. At myUpchar, researchers and journalists work with doctors to bring you information on all things health.