Yoga is one of the oldest forms of practice in the world. It helps in keeping our body and mind healthy. Doing yoga poses on a daily basis is considered beneficial for the organs too.
Yoga incorporates physical movements and poses which engage every muscle, joint, and bone. The twisting movements in yoga exercise our organs and keep them active and healthy. No other form of exercise does this to our body. (1)
You might be thinking about the strength and stamina gained by doing weight training at the gym or about the bodyweight training done at home or outdoors must be more compared to yoga.
It is valid up to a certain extent. Yoga is not only about the physical body but also about the mental and energy body of the human system. As yoga stimulates every part of the physical body, it also boosts our mind and the energy system. (3)
This is one of the reasons one should practice yoga as instructed in the scriptures. Do not worry if you only do a few poses and movements as an everyday exercise. But if you are practicing yoga as a whole, make sure you are not making any mistakes.
People who are practicing yoga have found many amazing results over the years. Patients who had severe chronic ailments have been cured. People with low energy levels have increased their energy levels. Yoga has helped in weight gain and weight loss without taking any kind of supplements or intense workouts.
Yoga does many benefits to our bones. It strengthens and prevents weak bone conditions in old age. Yoga targets our joints which is also a plus point when seen from an overall health perspective.
Below are some of the yoga poses one must be doing to be fit physically. These poses also help you calm your mind by bringing a quality of peace within your being. Try to do them every day if you are someone who does not have a workout regime.
7 Easy Yoga Poses to do Everyday
Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward dog pose)
The downward dog pose is a standard yoga pose performed in almost every yoga session that stretches the lower body muscles such as hamstrings, some areas of glutes, calves, and ankles. Not only stretching, but it also strengthens the upper body, including the shoulders and arms. Also, it stimulates the abdominal muscles by strengthening the core.
It improves posture by opening up the chest and shoulders, which helps straighten the spine. The small muscles in the joints called “ligaments” get a good stretch. This pose also strengthens the feet muscles.
Setu Bandha Sarvangasana (Bridge pose)
The bridge pose is also performed as an exercise in the gym and bodyweight training. This yoga pose strengthens the back, glutes, legs, and ankles. It opens up the heart, chest, and hip flexors.
It gives an excellent stretch to the spine, chest, and shoulders.
The bridge pose stimulates the organs of the abdomen, lungs, and thyroid and improves digestion. Apart from physical benefits, it also helps to calm the mind and relieve stress. Practicing this yoga pose is a must if you have lower back pain.
You can do repetitions in this yoga pose as an exercise that will help you build strong lower back glutes and hamstrings. (2)
Kumbhakasana (Plank pose)
The plank pose is a pose done as an exercise incorporated in almost every workout program. The plank pose strengthens the core, helps to improve balance and coordination, and improves body posture.
This yoga pose has significant positive effects on the mind and overall mental health. Also, it helps in boosting metabolism. One should do this pose every day to get the most benefits. Do this exercise thrice for a minute each. It will help you build strength and endurance and boost your mental health and metabolism.
There are variations of this yoga pose. The core emphasized plank, elbow plank, knee plank, side to side plank, straight arm plank, etc. You can also create your own plank pose by targeting a specific area in your body.
Virabhadrasana (Warrior pose)
The warrior pose strengthens the shoulders, arms, legs, back, and ankles. This yoga pose opens up the hips, chest, and lungs. It stretches the muscles in the groin area and makes them strong.
This is known as the warrior pose because it increases the strength and power of the body. Try this pose if you are someone who is into sports. This yoga pose will increase your overall strength, focus, balance, and stability.
Vrikshasana (Tree pose)
The tree pose strengthens the legs, shoulders, abs, and obliques. This yoga pose improves the focus and balance of the body. You can do this pose on both the legs individually to train your legs to hold your body’s entire weight.
The tree pose strengthens the hips and pelvic region. It also improves the overall posture of the body. You must do this pose daily if you are someone facing focus-related problems.
Bhujangasana (Cobra pose)
The cobra pose strengthens the spine, tones the glutes, and stretches the abdominal region. It opens up the chest and heart. It also stimulates the abdominal organs keeping them healthy.
Along with the benefits mentioned above, it also opens up the sacral area helping you in sexual health. It has therapeutic benefits for asthma patients.
Marjaryasana (Cat-cow pose)
The cat-cow pose is a pose that offers tremendous benefits. This yoga pose stretches and strengthens the neck, hips, abdominal muscles, and back. This pose helps improve posture and balance of the body.
It massages the organs in the abdomen area, such as the kidneys and adrenal gland. This helps in relieving stress and enhances emotional balance.