Nine easy yoga moves to fix your health ailments
Can a bit of bendiness and mindful breathing really fix all our aches and pains? It might be time to start up the sun salutations, as yoga, it transpires, has science on its side to back up its health claims. Earlier this year, a study concluded not only that exercise can be more effective than medication in treating depression, but that yoga, specifically, was among the most effective forms.
The BMJ published the first-ever detailed survey of the impact of yoga in the UK, with evidence that it can help with an array of health concerns from back pain to Type 2 diabetes, while a 2016 study found it improves bone density.
Here we reveal the best yoga pose to fix your health problem from back pain to recovering from a cold, as demonstrated by Shruti Srivastava, a London yoga teacher and massage therapist and founder of Yoga Mapp.
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Yoga for back pain
Sam Bhide, advanced physiotherapist, Pilates teacher and founder of Physiozen, recommends two poses to “stretch the spine, improve blood supply, reduce stiffness in the joints.” All of this will improve mobility in the middle and lower back areas.
Cat-cow
“On a mat, get onto all fours, so that your body looks like a tabletop,” she suggests. “Place your hands directly under your shoulders, your knees under your hip joints, and keep your spine in a relaxed, neutral position. Then hollow out your back so that it dips in the middle, extending your neck so that you are gazing up at the sky. Next, curl your back into a hump and curl your chin to your chest.”
Child’s pose
From your cat-cow, return to your tabletop position. Lower your bottom towards your heels, then stretch your arms along the floor, so that they are pointing directly in front of you.
“Lower your head down, between your knees, then gradually return to the start table position,” says Bhide who adds a couple of pointers:
“Make sure to breathe deeply and gently as you begin each movement, exhaling as you achieve the full stretch in each position. This allows relaxation, improves blood supply and calms your mind.
Do these poses slowly for best results. Repeat the positions three to five times, or as your body allows, two or three times a day, two to three times a week.”
You can augment your routine as your body grows more used to the practice but, she stresses: “With back pain, pacing is essential, do what your body and pain allows and challenge yourself as you get better.”
Yoga for headaches
A 2022 meta-analysis study found that yoga can significantly reduce the frequency of migraines.
Why? Neck stretches can help relieve headaches, and reduce their frequency, because they lower tension in the neck, which can be the culprit when it comes to headaches.
Correcting poor posture and strengthening muscles around the head and shoulders can also have a beneficial effect,” explains Srivastava who started practising yoga at the age of nine with her mother and used it to rehabilitate from injuries.
So what to do?
Chin lock (Jalandhara bandha)
“Draw your chin to your chest as if holding an apple under the chin,” says Srivastava. “You can also use your forefinger to gently press the chin down. It’s good for neck alignment, as well as lengthening the back of the neck, as poor posture can sometimes cause headaches.”
Easy pose neck rotation (Greeva sanchalana)
“Next, roll your head so that your left ear points down towards your left shoulder,” says Srivastava. “Hold that position for a couple of breaths, then breathe in to come back to your chin tuck before moving over to the right side.”
Depression and anxiety
A BMJ study in February pointed to yoga as one of the best forms of exercise through which to combat depression. The reason? Yoga and meditation can have a profound impact on the limbic system; the part of the brain involved in emotional responses, explains Srivastava.
Yoga has also been shown to elevate levels of the brain chemical gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), associated with improved mood and lower anxiety. A review published in the journal Aging and Mental Health found that, from an array of relaxation techniques, yoga and music had the biggest impact on depression and anxiety.
Sun salutation A (Surya namaskar A)
Try this sequence of 12 poses – collectively known as a sun salutation – to boost your endorphin (or ‘happy hormone’) levels and use the flow of synchronised breath to shift your focus away from your mind and into your body, suggests Srivastava.
Mountain pose (Tadasana) to upward salute (Urdhva hastasana)
Stand at the top of your mat with your heels and toes together or feet hip-width apart. Engage your thighs, glutes and draw the abdomen in. Roll the shoulders back and down as you lengthen your arms by your sides, extending the fingers down towards the ground. Imagine the crown of your head reaching up towards the sky.
Float your arms up towards the sky, while shifting the gaze towards your hands, keeping your palms facing shoulder width.
Standing forward bend (Uttanasana)
Swan dive forward, arms wide and rest them on your shins.
Half forward bend (Ardha uttanasana)
Lengthen your spine halfway, looking forward, with a flat back position. Then go to standing forward bend and forward fold once again.
Low lunge (Anjanayesana)
Reach your fingertips to the ground and step your right leg back into a low lunge position.
Point-pose (Ashtanga namaskar)
Step your left leg back and lower your chest and chin so eight parts of your body are in contact with the ground.
Cobra (Bhujangasana)
Lengthen the arms and push the floor away with your hands, squeeze the biceps and glutes, pressing the thighs and tops of the feet into the ground as you send the chest forward.
Downward dog (Adho mukha svanasana) to standing forward bend (Uttanasana)
As you exhale, tuck your toes and send your hips high and heels low to the ground so that you’re in an upside down letter ‘V‘ shape. Take three breaths.
Then go to standing forward bend (Uttanasana). Step or jump your feet back towards the top of the mat and forward fold on your next exhale.
Go into upward salute (Urdhva hastasana). As you inhale, float the arms back up into a standing position, arms reaching upwards once again.
Then follow with mountain pose (Tadasana). Relax the hands by the sides of your waist.
Complete on the left side and repeat a few times.
Getting over a cold
When your symptoms are very mild, low to moderate exercise can be beneficial. A 2018 review found that regular yoga practice is linked to reduced inflammation (your immune system’s response to a cold virus). So if you’re sniffly, Srivastava recommends Yin Yoga (see pose below) – a gentle style that allows you to relax and promotes the sleep you need to recover.
Caterpillar pose
Sit with your legs stretched out in front of you, feet together. Fold your torso gently over your legs, your spine and head relaxed. Let the palms face up as you rest them, your hands somewhere comfortable on your legs to lengthen the shoulders. Be sure to use a bolster and props to support your neck and any area of the body that is engaged.
Relax by taking deep, long slow breaths and soften the muscles. This pose can activate the parasympathetic nervous system by taking the head below the heart, improve recovery time and metabolism, aid digestion, while stretching aching muscles.
Managing work stress
In a 2018 study, women who practised Hatha (or classical) yoga for four weeks saw their stress reduce significantly. If you have been sitting behind a desk all day, Srivastava suggests you simply remove your shoes and turn things upside down – quite literally.
Legs up the wall pose (Viparita karani)
Sit on the floor, legs extended, facing sideways against a wall. Gently lower your upper body and head to the floor, and stretch your legs up the wall. Relax and breathe. This pose improves circulation, reduces swelling of the legs and feet, and promotes a sense of calm.
Shruti also recommends sitting in easy pose for box breathing, taking in and breathing out equal counts of air to bring the mind to the present moment.
Hammock pose
“In terms of posture, I would also add hammock pose – very relaxing, which takes the weight off the head. Suspension with a yoga strap behind the head also releases acupressure points at occipital and temples.”
Insomnia
Struggling to sleep? A 2021 study found that Kundalini yoga (a form that takes in chanting, singing, breathing exercises, and repetitive poses) increased and improved the sleep of participants.
“As a yoga teacher, there’s one particular moment in class when I’m most likely to hear a little snore escape from somewhere in the studio: savasana,” says Srivastava.
Yoga nidra
To try this “sleeping” pose (also called “yogic sleep”) lie on your back, taking your feet to each edge of your mat and arms a few inches from the body in a comfortable savasana (known as corpse pose).
Use blankets or bolsters to ensure you are well-supported, warm and comfortable. In a class, your teacher might then take you through a guided meditation or body scan (asking you to relax each part of your body, one at a time). At home, you can find online recordings of teachers doing just this. Just don’t be surprised if you snooze before the end.
Videos by Julian Simmonds for The Telegraph
