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Benefits of Bhujangasana
If you are planning to take on
Yoga as part of your fitness routine, then you can start off with one of the more modern exercises,
Bhujangasana or
Sanskrit words, bhujanga meaning ‘snake/cobra’ and asana meaning ‘posture/exercise’.
Dr Shilpa Patel, a Yoga practitioner and trainer, said, “Bhujangasana, also known as the Cobra Pose, is a reclining back-bending asana in
Hatha Yoga practised to strengthen the vertebral column, and acute stretching of shoulder, abdomen, thorax and lungs. It is generally performed in a cycle of asanas in
Surya Namaskar as an alternative asana to Urdhva Mukha Svanasana (Upward Dog Pose).”
We know that exercise is great for our general health, but can mindful movement like vinyasa yoga also boost our immunity?
“Exercise and movement are very important for supporting our immunity and overall health,” says Dr. Vani Gandhi, an infectious diseases and integrative medicine specialist at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. But when it comes to immunity, not all forms of exercise are equal.
“There’s a relatively new field of medicine called exercise immunology,” Gandhi says. “Studies have shown that moderate exercise can activate immune cells, which have anti-inflammatory effects. On the other hand, evidence shows that high-intensity exercise, like intense competition events, is associated with physiologic and metabolic stress, which are linked to immune system dysfunction and inflammation. A short yoga session or a 45-minute walk is very different on the body compared to a 26-mile marathon race.”
Lots of things can cause constipation: poor diet (especially not getting enough fiber and fluids), stress, travel, and even certain medications and digestive conditions like diabetes can all prevent your colon from absorbing enough water from the food you eat so it can be easily eliminated.
Drinking more water and adding fiber-rich foods to your diet can ease constipation, but so can movement. Physical activity stimulates the muscles in your intestine, so they can move your waste along more easily. Yoga has an added benefit in relieving constipation. Certain yoga poses particularly twists and poses that put pressure on the abdomen gently massage your digestive tract, encouraging it to move stool along. In fact, a 2015 study found that yoga can ease symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome, which often includes bouts of constipation.
Dealing with a pesky twitch in your shoulder? Having trouble moving your arms around? A tight shoulder may be the culprit, and yoga can help provide relief.
The shoulder is the most mobile joint in the body and is used in many different activities, from reaching for an object on a tall shelf, raising your arm to use a hand rail, or carrying heavy bags of groceries. Because of this, it’s understandable that it may get tweaked accidentally or feel a little sore from overuse, even if you weren’t consciously working those muscles.
The shoulder itself is actually a complex band of eight muscles that protect the shoulder joint, or glenohumeral joint. When thinking of the shoulder, most people think of the deltoid, the triangular-shaped capsule covering the glenohumeral joint that provides the bulb-like appearance. It’s used when you raise your arm and protects the glenohumeral joint from dislocating when carrying something heavy. But the shoulder also includes the muscles of the ro