Home fitness yoga tutorial

For the vast majority of ordinary people who want to exercise at home through yoga, the most practical solution is never to copy the difficult sequences of bloggers, but to find 15-30 minutes of fixed free time, give priority to the three commonly weak areas of the hip, shoulder and core. There is no need to buy additional expensive equipment. A non-slip mat or even a clean carpet can be used to start. If you insist on it for one month, you can feel the effects of relieving shoulder and neck pain and improving sleep quality.

I went through a lot of pitfalls at first. I followed a certain "7-Day Waist Slimming" blogger to practice high-level core sequences. The next day, my waist was as stiff as a slate, and I had a hard time even bending down to tie my shoelaces. Later, after a review by a friend who had a yoga instructor certificate, I found out that my core was not exerting force throughout the whole process, and I relied entirely on compensatory movements of the lumbar spine. It was purely a blind exercise. I also followed the trend and bought a lot of yoga bricks, yoga wheels, and elastic bands. Now, except for the mats that I use every day, the rest are piled in the entrance mat delivery box. There is really no need to spend money on it from the beginning. Practice for two months. If you can persist, it is not too late to add equipment.

People with different needs actually adapt to completely different training logics, so there is no need to stick to one genre. If you have old joint injuries, or want to improve sedentary strain, you can refer to the idea of ​​​​Iyengar Yoga. The pillows, back cushions, and thick towels at home can all be used as assistive devices. When doing forward bends, put a pillow under your hands if you can’t reach the ground. If you have pain in the knee when doing the angle pose, put a towel under the knees. No need to hold it hard. Safety is the most important thing. If you have a foundation in exercise and want to get some calories by the way, try the simplified sequence of flow yoga or Ashtanga. The movements follow your breathing, and you can work up a thin sweat in 20 minutes. It is much kinder to the joints than aerobics in place. If you have been under so much stress recently that you have insomnia, just choose Yin Yoga movements. Hold each movement for 3-5 minutes without exerting force, just like paralyzing. I lasted for a week during the last project launch, lying down in the child's pose for 10 minutes before going to bed every day, which is much more effective than taking melatonin.

I don't even deliberately make time to practice now. When I make coffee and wait for the water to boil for 3 minutes on weekday mornings, I stand in the kitchen and do Mountain Pose. With my feet shoulder-width apart and my shoulders sinking, don't shrug. After a few deep breaths, most of the drowsiness I just woke up from has dissipated. When I get home from get off work in the evening, I take off my shoes and lie down on the mat for 5 minutes. I spread my knees and place my belly against my thighs. I put my head on the mat and let go. I can relieve all the stiffness in my shoulders and neck that I accumulated at work before cooking. Even the mood for cooking is much better. Last time, my mother said that she had synovitis in her knees and it was difficult to squat down. I arranged three movements for her, each lasting 20 minutes. She now practices them every day: The first one is to sit on the edge of the chair, stretch her feet forward and take turns to hook her feet and stretch her feet. 10 times on each side to train her calf muscles to protect her knees. ； The second one is to lean your back against the wall and do the seated angle pose. Open your legs as much as you can without pressing them. Hold for 3 minutes to open your hips. ； The third one is to lie on the bed and do Supine Angle Pose, with a pillow under your waist and lie down for 5 minutes. She has been practicing for three months and said that now when she goes downstairs to buy groceries, her knees will not suddenly become weak.

I specifically asked teachers from different schools about some of the hotly debated points on the Internet. In fact, there is no standard answer at all. For example, do I have to fast for 2 hours before practicing? Traditional hatha yoga does have this requirement, to avoid movements that squeeze the stomach and cause discomfort. However, teachers who do sports rehabilitation also say that if you have low blood sugar or practice strong flow yoga, it is perfectly fine to eat half a banana and a small piece of whole wheat bread 15 minutes beforehand. Another example is do I have to wear professional yoga clothes? I often wear old T-shirts and pajamas that have been washed out and become soft when I practice at home. As long as the movements can be stretched and not tight, there is really no need to buy a bunch of new clothes just to practice yoga.

I have been practicing Down Dog for two years and my heels still can’t touch the ground, and when I bend forward, my hands can only touch my calves. However, the mild lumbar protrusion problem that I suffered from sitting for a long time is now rare. My shoulders were so round before that I looked hunky even when wearing a T-shirt. Now my shoulders are naturally open, and I don’t have to deliberately push out my belly when taking photos. Don’t compare the range of motion with bloggers. Everyone’s joint mobility is naturally different. Some people are naturally soft, and some people have tight muscles. When you practice, you only need to feel a slight stretch and no pain. If you do hard movements, you will only get injured.

Having said that, the core of home yoga is "don't treat it as a task." If you are in good condition today, just practice flow yoga for 20 more minutes to sweat out. If you are not in good condition, just lie in child's pose for 5 minutes and check your phone. There is no need to shorten the time, and there is no need to pursue perfect movements. I just throw the cushion next to the sofa. Sometimes my neck gets sore from watching short videos, so I just roll onto the cushion and do two cat-cow poses, which is much more comfortable than lying on the sofa. You don’t have to wait to “start again when you have time”. Put down your phone now, stand and take three deep breaths to calm your shoulders. It’s your first time practicing.