Body stiffness is not a good symptom for sound health. If you are flexible, it means you are keeping yourself away from various diseases. Stiffness makes you susceptible to various health issues. There are some easy yogic exercises that help to loosen up stiffness of knee, back and other joints and muscles of the body.
Best exercises to reduce stiffness
- Ankle Crank (Goolf Ghoornan)
- Half Butterfly (Ardha Titali Asana)
- Hip rotation
- Squat and Rise Pose (Utthanasana)
- Crow Walking (Kawa Chalasana)
- Churning the Mill (Chakki Chaianasana)
- Dynamic Spinal Twist (Gatyatmak Meru Vakrasana)
- Neck Movements (Greeva Sanchaiana)
How to do Ankle Crank (Goolf Ghoornan)
- Sit on a mat and stretch both legs out in front of the body.
- Bend the right leg and bring it to the groin of left leg.
- Hold the right ankle with right hand and toes with left ankle.
- Now rotate the right ankle 10 times clockwise and anticlockwise.
- Repeat the same process with the left leg.
Benefits: It helps to loosen up the ankle joints.
How to do Half Butterfly (Ardha Titali Asana)?
- Sit on a mat and stretch both legs out in front of the body.
- Fold the left leg and place the left foot on the right thigh.
- Now, gently hold your left knee with your left palm.
- Do the left knee up and down 40-50 times.
- Relax and straight the leg.
- Repeat the same process with another leg.
Benefits: It eases the stiffness of thighs, knees and ankle joints.
How to do hip rotation?
- Sit on the mat and stretch your legs in front of you.
- Fold the left foot on the right thigh near its groin.
- Hold the left knee with the left hand.
- Rotate the knee 10 times clockwise and 10 times anti-clockwise.
- Come to the original position.
- Repeat the same process with another leg.
Benefits: This yogic stretching helps to strengthen the muscles and joints of the legs thus removes muscular tension.
How to do Squat and Rise Pose (Utthanasana)?
- One should be in standing position with your feet about 50 cm apart.
- Interlock your fingers in front of your abdomen and slowly try to be in the Kagasana.
- Let your interlock fingers touch the ground.
- Be in the position for 10 to 20 seconds.
- Then come to the original position.
Benefits: This yogic exercise strengthens and loosens the entire leg. Good for knees, ankle, thighs and leg joints.
How to do Crow Walking (Kawa Chalasana)?
- Sit in the Kagasana
- Place your palms on your knees.
- Now, slowly walking in this position.
Benefits: It is the best yogic exercise for easing stiffness and strengthening the legs.
How to do the Churning the Mill (Chakki Chalanasana)?
- Sit on the floor with the legs apart.
- Interlock your fingers and make your arms straight and stretched at shoulder level.
- Rotate your arms in as big a circle as possible as you can on a horizontal plane.
- Lean forward and try to cross your interlock fingers to the toes.
- Lean backwards as far as possible, keeping your feet on the ground.
- Do the process 10 times clockwise and 10 times anti clockwise.
Benefits: The Churning the Mill is an excellent exercise for shoulders, lower back, lower abdomen and waist.
How to do Dynamic Spinal Twist (Gatyatmak Meru Vakrasana)?
- Separate your legs as far apart as you can.
- Raise the arms at the shoulder level.
- Now try to touch your left toes with your right palm and move your left arm straight backward above or at the level of the shoulder.
- Repeat the same process with other side.
Benefits: This micro yogic exercise gives the whole spine a good stretching thereby reduces vertebrae twist and tones spinal nerves too.
How to do Neck Movements (Greeva Sanchaiana)?
Stage I
- Sit in any comfortable position.
- Slowly tilt the head forward as much as you can.
- Bring it at upright position.
- Now tilt it backward as much as you can.
- This is the one round.
- Do it 10 times
Stage II
- Sit in any comfortable position.
- Bend your head towards the right shoulder as per your comfortability.
- Slowly bring it to the centre.
- Now do the same process towards the left shoulder.
- It’s a one round.
- Do it 10 rounds.
Stage III
- Sit in any comfortable position.
- Rotate your head slowly in a clockwise direction by touching the chest and shoulders.
- After completing the 10 rounds, do the same in anti-clockwise direction.
Benefits
- The neck movements reduce the stiffness of neck nerve.
- Excellent exercise of reducing stress and bringing of calmness.
- Also eases headache.
