Chair yoga 101: 5 poses for spinal health
What's the story
Chair yoga provides a gentle way to boost spinal health, particularly for beginners. It presents an accessible form of exercise that can be performed virtually anywhere, making it perfect for those with restricted mobility or spending long hours seated. By adding chair yoga to your routine, you can boost flexibility, relieve tension, and promote improved posture. Here are five chair yoga poses focused on maintaining/improving spinal health.
Flexibility boost
Seated cat-cow stretch
The seated cat-cow stretch is another simple yet effective pose to improve the flexibility of your spine. Start by sitting upright with feet flat on the floor. Inhale as you arch your back and look up towards the ceiling (cow pose), then exhale as you round your back and tuck your chin to your chest (cat pose). This movement helps in loosening tight muscles and promoting spinal mobility.
Tension release
Chair spinal twist
The chair spinal twist helps release tension along the spine. Sit sideways on a chair with feet firmly planted on the ground. Place one hand on the back of the chair and gently twist your torso towards it while keeping hips facing forward. Hold this position for a few breaths before switching sides. This twist helps stretch muscles around the spine, enhances circulation.
Posture improvement
Seated forward bend
The seated forward bend works wonders for your posture by stretching your lower back and hamstrings. Sit at the edge of a chair with your legs extended straight out in front of you. Slowly bend forward from hips (keeping your back straight) until your hands reach towards your toes or shins. This pose encourages lengthening of the spine and cures stiffness.
Lateral flexibility
Side stretch while seated
Side stretch while seated targets lateral flexibility of the spine. Sit upright with feet flat on floor; raise one arm overhead while leaning gently to the opposite side without lifting hips off seat surface—hold briefly before repeating the other side's motion sequence, too! This stretch enhances range-of-motion capabilities within intercostal muscles surrounding the ribcage area.
Neck relief
Neck rolls while sitting
Neck rolls relieve neck strain caused due to extended sitting hours during day-to-day activities, like working on desks. Sit comfortably; roll your head clockwise and anti-clockwise slowly, a couple of times, with smooth transitions. This makes the cervical region relax, relieving stress levels greatly in the long run, when done regularly enough.