People of all ages now suffer from joint and or muscle aches and pains. What a lot of us are not aware of is how much of this pain is actually reversible with proper POSTURE. But again, Yogi will always provide you with the facts in order for you to better understand all of this...
"Sore Muscles The most common effect of poor posture are sore muscles. As you slouch, the muscles have to work harder to keep the spine stabilized and protected. The extra work on these muscles can cause muscle tightness and fatigue. This can lead to chronic issues with tight and sore muscles from the neck all the way down to the lower back. Two major muscle groups that bare the brunt of these issues are the flexors and extensors of the trunk, which allow you to bend forward and lift objects.
Spinal Curvature One of the most serious issues that can occur with bad posture is developing a spinal curvature. According to the Chiropractic Resource Organization, the human spine has four natural curves that make up an "s" shape. When bad posture is practiced, the spine can experience pressure, slowly influencing the spine curves to change their positions. The spine is specifically designed to help absorb shock and keep you balanced, but as the spinal position changes, this ability becomes compromised.
Subluxations Once the spinal curve is altered, one major issue that can occur are subluxations. Vertebral subluxations occur when a vertebrae become misaligned from the rest of the spine. This affects the overall integrity of the rest of the spinal column. These misalignments can eventually cause chronic health problems including stress and irritation of surrounding spinal nerves.
Blood Vessel Constriction As bad posture changes the alignment of the spine, the resulting movement and subluxations can cause problems with blood vessel constriction. The constriction of the blood vessels around the spine can cut off blood supply to the cells of the muscles, which can affect nutrient and oxygen supply. Blood vessel constriction can also raise your chances of clot formation and issues with deep vein thrombosis.
Nerve Constriction One of the most common side effects of bad posture is nerve constriction. As the spine changes in shape, the resulting movements or subluxations can put pressure on the surrounding spinal nerves. Because the nerves that connect to the spine come from all over the body, these pinched nerves can not only cause neck and back pain but may also cause pain in other unrelated areas of the body." Practicing Yoga can help strengthen key stabilizer muscles while strecthing other muscles that are tense and tight. Many yoga poses or ASANAS also help maintain proper joint alignment, for example Butterfly Pose - or Bound angle pose, helps lengthen the spine at the same time, strengthening paraspinal muscles which help keep us straight and upright while standing and sitting. YOGA really is a one fits all. Simply standing in forward fold, allows gravity to take over, which creates space between our vertebrae joints, lengthening without muscle activation. Magic isn't it. Listed below are my top 5 favourite POSTURE CORRECTOR ASANAS: 1) Standing forward fold - UTTANASA : "Lengthens the spinal column and stretches the backs of the legs and the back muscles. This posture compresses and massages the internal organs to boost metabolism and stimulate the digestive, uro-genital, nervous and endocrine systems"
2) Downward Facing Dog - ADHO MUKHA SVASANA " Strengthens the upper body. The stabilizing position of downward dog strengthens muscles in the arms, upper back and shoulders. Elongates the spine, strengthens hands, wrists, and fingers. Opens up the backs of the legs. Improves circulation. Relieves tension and stress."
3)Cat cow pose - BITILASANA MARJARYASANA " Increases the flexibility of the neck, shoulders and spine. The movement also stretches the muscles of the hips, back, abdomen and chest. Strengthens your spine. During this stretch, it activates the tailbone and releases tension of the neck and upper back."
4)Cobra pose - BHUJANGASANA
" Opens the shoulder blades, neck, and collar bones. Improves spinal posture, flexibility, and alignment. Reduces back pain. Improves circulation. Opens the lungs. Stimulates the abdominal and digestive organs, improving digestion. Massages and regulates the adrenal and thyroid glands. Reduces stress."
5)Camel Pose - USTRASANA
" It strengthens the chest, abdomen and quadriceps muscles and tones the glutes and hamstrings (back of thigh) muscles. Ustrasana may allow the cervical tension to be reduced while stretching the neck in the backbend. It may also aid in strengthening the shoulders, arms, back, and legs muscles."
These are simply 5 poses, as you can see the benefits of YOGA are ENDLESS - GET STARTED WITH ME TODAY!
- Yogitheexplorer
Thank you so much!