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Yoga is a powerful practice that can help give you more control over your body and life by boosting your mobility. You can optimize the benefits by incorporating functional movements into your yoga practice. Yoga’s functional movement can maintain proper alignment and engage muscles to improve overall body strength and stability.
Mobility Through Yoga Movement
Mobility refers to your joints’ ability to move freely without interference from surrounding tissues. Good mobility allows you to move your body without stiffness or pain. It can help you perform basic tasks like walking up and down the stairs more easily. Here are a few specific ways yoga can help improve mobility:
Enhance Range of Motion
Yoga poses help lengthen the muscles. The deeper you move into and hold a pose, the further you stretch your muscles. Over time, this can improve your joint’s range of motion, allowing you to move your body more fluidly. With consistent practice, you may find your body less restricted when performing tasks.
Improve Joint Health
Yoga poses often involve weight-bearing on muscles around the joints. Holding and balancing the poses strengthens the muscles, reducing strain and stress around your joints. Yoga also helps move synovial fluid through the joints. This can boost lubrication, reducing stiffness and allowing you to move your joints freely.
Improve Muscle Memory
Incorporating functional movements into your yoga practice can boost muscle memory and mobility. Functional movement in yoga sometimes involves repeating movements multiple times. Repetition of poses can make your muscles learn to perform movements consistently and accurately without conscious thought.
Boost Balance and Coordination
Yoga poses require participants to engage multiple muscles at once, which helps improve overall coordination. The practice also helps individuals develop strong core muscles for maintaining balance. Incorporate yoga into your fitness routine for a stronger, more coordinated body.
Yoga Poses to Improve Mobility
Downward Facing Dog Pose
This pose stretches the calves and hamstrings and boosts blood circulation. Here’s what to do:
- Start on all fours with your hands slightly wider than your shoulders and your knees hip-distance apart.
- Lift your hips to create an inverted V shape.
- Relax your head and shoulder blades. Your head should gaze towards your navel, and shoulder blades should move from your ears towards your hips.
- Hold the position for several breaths.
You can take a functional approach to this pose by repeating it several times.
Chair Pose
This pose strengthens the spine, core, ankles, and thighs. Here’s how to get into the pose:
- Stand tall with your feet slightly apart.
- Lift your arms and position your biceps slightly in front of your ears. You can keep your arms parallel to each other in this position or join your palms for added stability.
- Exhale while bending your knees until you are in a seated position. Keep your thighs as parallel to the floor as possible and your inner thighs parallel to each other.
- Hold the position for several seconds.
Pigeon Pose
This is a hip-opening pose that stretches the back, thighs, and groin. It’s suitable if you’re constantly seated for long periods as it releases muscle tension and tightness. For the pose:
- Get on the downward-facing dog pose.
- Lift your left leg so it extends away from you.
- Bring it forward toward the back of your left wrist.
- Place your left shin below your torso and angle your left foot in front of your right knee, just behind your right hand.
- Straighten your right leg behind you and let your thigh lie on the floor.
- Lower the outer part of your left buttock toward the floor.
- Hold the position for several breaths.
Child’s Pose
This is a restorative yoga pose that can help increase mobility in the hips, shoulders, and spine. The child’s pose provides a gentle stretch to these areas, helping to increase blood flow and loosen tight muscles. To practice this pose:
- Begin by kneeling with your toes touching the floor and sit back on your heels.
- Slowly bring your forehead to the ground, keeping your arms extended in front of you or resting alongside your body.
- Take deep breaths and focus on releasing any tension in your body.
- Hold the pose for several minutes to enhance its effectiveness.
Use Functional Movement in Your Yoga Routine
Yoga is an excellent tool for boosting mobility. When combined with functional movement, the practice can increase your range of motion, allowing you to undertake daily tasks like walking or getting up and sitting down more easily. Try online or in-person yoga classes to boost mobility today.
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