How to Improve Your Yoga Exercises During COVID-19

How to Improve Your Yoga Exercises During COVID-19

As there are still no evident signs that COVID-19 will finally be a thing of the past, adapting to the ‘new normal’ is inevitable.

This still centers on how we can best strengthen our health and wellness whether in physical, mental, or even spiritual state.

However, with the disruption caused by this pandemic forcing most of us to stay indoors, what options do we have? Well, the answer has always been within our grasp – yoga exercises.

Unlike your usual go-to for general wellness like fitness gyms (which have been closed for weeks now), yoga is an exercise that you can do within the comfort of your own home.

Tracing its roots from thousands of years ago, yoga has stood the test of time because of its known benefits.

What Does Yoga Do to your Mind and Body?

Yoga incorporates the use of one’s mind and body.

This is why doing yoga exercises during this pandemic can be the best option for anyone.

This is significant given the consensus of global studies which revealed that COVID-19 worsens mental health issues like anxiety and depression.

Here’s what yoga does to your mind and body:

  • Weight loss – Doing yoga exercises for weight loss has long been a practice. The higher intensity in doing a fitness-based power yoga is extra helpful in burning the calories you probably dread.
  • Improves balance and flexibility – In all kinds of yoga, doing multiple forms and poses are the most basic steps. If you do this often, your mobility and flexibility will surely improve.
  • Reduces stress and anxiety – Meditation and breathing exercises have great potential to improve your mental health. The peace and calmness you get while doing yoga relax the mind that in turn can give you a strengthened outlook in life.
  • Relieves chronic pain – The relaxation you get through yoga can relieve several types of chronic pain including back pain. Several forms of yoga-like restorative integrate passive stretching. Yoga stretches relieve strains in your muscles and joints.
  • Can improve quality of life – According to several studies, yoga improves sleep quality and can help you develop self-awareness. It can give you a positive body and mental outlook which are both handy during this pandemic.

fitness yoga exercise in Jackson - Fitness Expo Stores

What Light Yoga Exercises Can you Do at Home?

Whether you are a couch potato, a fitness nerd who does yoga occasionally, or just someone who wants morning yoga for beginners, take out that mat and develop a yoga habit to earn those yoga benefits.

Combining several poses from seated, standing, balancing, backbend, and resting positions would be the most efficient.

  • Mountain Pose – If you have been doing yoga before, this is probably the first thing you usually perform. It makes you look like just standing but there’s more to the pose. It strengthens your thighs and knees for a better posture.
    How to do it: Stand firmly with your feet together then focus your weight on the arches of your feet. Focus on lengthening your spine while your shoulders and pelvis are stacked along its line.
  • Plank Pose – Planking is a balancing yoga that strengthens your arms and abdominal muscles. This pose is essential if you also want your stamina to improve.
    How to do it: Hold your weight to the whole stretch of your arms. Make sure that the line of your body, spine, and hips are not dropping to the floor.
  • Sukhasana – Also called an easy pose, sukhasana is a cross-legged seated pose that is likened to meditation. This is a great form of morning yoga for beginners as it targets your core postural muscles. While doing this, you can focus on your breathing exercises.
    How to do it: Sit up straight while doing a cross-legged sitting pose. Gently place your hands with the palms facing downward on your knees. Hold this position for a minute or two while you meditate.
  • Cobra Pose – A very popular backbend pose, Cobra improves the flexibility of the spine and the core strength of the arms.
    How to do it: Lie down on your face and slowly raise your chest by pressing your hands on the floor.
  • Corpse pose – If you have a habit of attending yoga classes, this is probably the last pose you do as a way of resting. Lying flat on your back while being still and relaxed is perfect to cap off your yoga session for the day.

Yoga stretches in Jackson - Fitness Expo Stores

Whether the impact of COVID-19 goes away in a few months or not, doing yoga exercises can be a great addition if not a great alternative to your fitness routine.

Performing it is probably the easiest and safest exercise amongst your options now since you can do it any time of the day.

Most importantly, yoga can give you that much-needed peace of mind in the midst of a global crisis.

Spri Airex Mats - Fitness Expo

Get more out of your yoga by getting a mat. With the stores still closed during this time, Fitness Expo Stores is your best bet in buying all types of exercise equipment.

The Spri Airex Mats is perfect for all those yoga sessions. The mat is non-slippery and it’s easy to clean, too!