yoga, cardio, exercise How to exercise your legs and abs with chair yoga. Image: Instagram/@freeletics
If you didn't know chair yoga, it's time to implement it into your daily routine.
Most of us spend 55% of our time sitting. In the office, at the table, or driving. Whatever the way, this has an impact on our posture and, therefore, our health .
The truth is that we cannot avoid it, however, it is possible to take advantage of this time, making it beneficial for our well-being.
“If you cannot defeat your enemy, join him,” Julius Caesar said millennia ago, and it's an adage that still holds true today, even if the villain in question is a chair. Yoga instructor Sara Beth has created a short yoga sequence to perform while comfortably seated.
And there are no excuses, because 20 minutes is enough to regain momentum and clarity, in addition to correcting small postural defects, while developing the core muscles and strengthening the lower part of the body without using weights.
In the office, working from home or during break, you can tone your muscles and increase strength without putting pressure on your joints. But how to do it, the answer lies in the technique known as chair yoga , a low-impact form of exercise.
“The exercise is divided into five sections and only lasts 20 minutes in total. There are neck and shoulder stretches, as well as a series dedicated to the spine, before moving on to lunges, warrior pose and gentle twists,” Sara Beth explains on her YouTube channel.
“Everything is done progressively, to start in a safe space and advance as you become stronger and more flexible. I recommend placing a mat under the chair, as you will need it for some exercises.”
Neck, chest and back stretches: Sit with your hands open on your thighs. Inhale, bring your head and chin toward your throat, arching your back into a shell shape. Then, as you exhale, lift your head and bring it back, looking up, arching your back. Repeat for one minute.
Right Ankle Stretch: Sitting, grab your right leg with your hands clasped, lift it off the ground, hug it. Then, as you inhale and exhale, move your foot up and down to stretch and mobilize your right ankle. Repeat for one minute.
Right leg stretch: Sitting, now extend your right leg forward. Place your ankle on the ground with the ball of your foot facing up. Draw your abdomen toward your thighs as you inhale, trying to grab your toes or ankle. You should feel the tendon stretch behind the knee. Remain in this position, inhaling and exhaling for one minute.
Left ankle stretch: Repeat the exercise performed for the right ankle for the left ankle.
Right leg extension: Repeat the exercise performed for the right leg for the left side.
Chair Lunges, Right Side: Turn on the chair, so that the backrest is against the right side of the chest, sit with the right thigh firmly against the seat and the foot on the floor, while the left leg descends to ninety degrees out of the seat (with the knee facing the floor). From here, extend your left leg as you inhale. Leaning on the backrest with your right arm, extend your left arm upward, arching your back slightly to help open your chest.
Turn to the right: Next, maintaining the previous position, turn your torso towards the backrest, grabbing it with both hands, to perform a turn. He remains in this position, inhaling and exhaling, for one minute.
Right Warrior Pose: Return from the chest twist. From here, he turns his forehead toward his right foot and opens his arms at chest level to assume the warrior stance. Stand for a few breaths, then place your left hand on your left side, pivoting, to extend your right arm overhead.
Finally, exhaling, he places his right arm on his right thigh and, turning to the left, extends his left arm above his head. He remains in this position for one minute.
Left Side Lunges, Twists, and Warrior Stance: Returning to the front sitting position, turn to the opposite side and repeat the same exercises just illustrated.
Slouched position: From a front sitting position, make sure your feet are shoulder-width apart. Then, inhale and lower your abdomen towards your thighs and try to bring your palms to the floor, next to your feet. If you can't, stop in the position that is most comfortable for you. Breathe for one minute in that position. Then return to the front sitting position, unfolding each vertebra very slowly and inhaling.
Many postures when performed standing with the body free, such as the warrior posture, are difficult to maintain, for reasons of stability. On the other hand, with the support of a chair, they are easier to perform and this encourages a deeper stretch.
The posture benefits, since the chest expands slowly, improving breathing and increasing lung capacity. Despite the sitting position, the exercises activate the chest, arms, shoulders, back and abdominals, helping to release tension in the lower back .
Chair yoga is a low-impact exercise, so it strengthens several muscle groups without straining the joints. With this type of yoga, you can train muscles such as the hip flexors, quadriceps, glutes, and hamstrings. Do you want to increase intensity and increase performance? Put weights on your ankle or wrists.
After spending the day at the office, or on a lunch break, doing this 20-minute chair yoga routine helps reconnect the body with the mind. The heart rate decreases and, thanks to conscious breathing, the body reactivates. The feeling of well-being is generalized and stress is relieved.
Chair yoga is suitable for anyone of any age: beginners, seniors, children, pregnant or postpartum women, and people who are sedentary or forced to sit for long periods of time.
It can also be done as a recovery activity or if you have limited mobility or low energy reserves. In case of pregnancy, it is advisable to modify the lunges, twists or the warrior position, reducing their intensity.
[Via GQ Mexico]
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