Stretching Those Hips!!
I just love my Internet friends for all they do and all they give me. While my weight loss journey is going well (and I even did some heavy chest work last night at the gym and it felt great) I know one of my major issues is my hip and my lack of flexibility there. Enter my favorite Mistress of Yoga alexgal to come to my rescue and offer me some poses (I don't feel worthy to say "asanas" yet) to help with my issues! I'm going to list them here not only so I have a place to come to and find them, but for everyone to check out if you to have flexibility issues in your lower body.
Below, I'm listing a sequence of seated and reclined asanas (poses).
[You may also include lunges and other balance poses in the future, if you feel comfortable:
http://www.prevention.com/fitness/yoga/12-yoga-poses-open-your-hips?s=8]
1. Dandasana (staff pose): Sit on the floor with your legs together, extended in front of your torso, quads engaged. Stay for 5-10 breaths. [http://www.yogajournal.com/pose/staff-pose/]
2. Paschimotanasana (seated forward bend): Lift the chest on an inhale, and lean forward on an exhale, holding your forward bend for 5-10 breaths. You don't need to reach for your feet--you may reach for your shins or even your knees. The intention is to lengthen the spine and reduce the gap between your thighs and lower abdominals. It's not at all important for the head to reach or even approach the legs--just focus on lengthening, while grounding the sit bones on the floor. [http://www.yogajournal.com/pose/seated-forward-bend/]
3. Janu sirsasana (head to knee pose): Bend the right knee, forming 90 degree or larger angle. Try to square the hips (so that the right one isn't way back)--you may use a block or hard pillow to support that hip if necessary. While exhaling, fold over your left leg. Stay for 5-10 breaths, and then switch to the left side. [http://www.yogajournal.com/pose/head-to-knee-forward-bend/]
4. Baddha Konasana (bound angle pose): From Dandasana, bend the knees and draw the heels toward the pelvis, letting the knees drop to the sides. Open your feet like a book using your hands, and while exhaling lean forward, lengthening the spine, with the chest approaching the feet. (alternatively, you don't need to lean forward. Stay with a straight spine and the chin tucked in.) Stay for 10 breaths or longer; with a straight back this can be a meditative pose. [http://www.yogajournal.com/pose/bound-angle-pose/]
5. Upavishta Konasana (wide-angle seated forward bend): Spread your legs wide (about 90 degrees), and on the exhale lean forward to reaching for your shins (or feet!), while lengthening the spine. Stay for 5-10 breaths. [http://www.yogajournal.com/pose/wide-angle-seated-forward-bend/]
6. Reclined spinal twist: From dandasana (after exiting the previous pose), recline your back on your mat, with shoulder blades flat on the floor. Draw your right knee to your chest, extend your right arm out to the side, with the palm flat on the floor. On the exhale move your knee toward the left side toward the floor, with the left hand resting on your right knee. Turn your head to the right side. Stay for 5-10 breaths, allowing gravity to do its work. Repeat on the other side. [http://www.yogaoutlet.com/guides/how-to-do-reclined-spinal-twist-in-yoga/]
7. Ananda Balasana (Happy Baby pose): While lying down, pull your knees to your chest. Place hands on outsides of feet, opening your knees wider than your torso. Press your feet into hands while pulling down on feet, creating resistance. Instead of holding the feet, you could also be holding the ankles if that is more feasible. [http://www.prevention.com/fitness/yoga/12-yoga-poses-open-your-hips?s=2]
9. Sukasana: While lying down, bend your knees and place the feet flat on the floor. Bring soles of feet together and let knees fall out to sides. Shoulder blades should be flat on the floor, and hands can be on either side with palms up, or resting on the belly. If this is too much, straighten the legs and take some rest in savasana (corpse pose, lying down like sukasana and resting with legs extended). [http://www.prevention.com/fitness/yoga/12-yoga-poses-open-your-hips?s=3]
I hope you will find these useful. If any of these don't feel comfortable, given your hip issues, you may omit them.
AFTER GOING THROUGH THESE FOR THE FIRST TIME I FEEL AMAZING ALREADY!!!! You are a gift from the gods Alexia- thank you sooooo much! This is certainly worth getting up an hour early for (since the cats are ususally walking on my head anyway)... and the realization of my breathing while doing these makes things even better. I am a very happy camper this morning!
Below, I'm listing a sequence of seated and reclined asanas (poses).
[You may also include lunges and other balance poses in the future, if you feel comfortable:
http://www.prevention.com/fitness/yoga/12-yoga-poses-open-your-hips?s=8]
1. Dandasana (staff pose): Sit on the floor with your legs together, extended in front of your torso, quads engaged. Stay for 5-10 breaths. [http://www.yogajournal.com/pose/staff-pose/]
2. Paschimotanasana (seated forward bend): Lift the chest on an inhale, and lean forward on an exhale, holding your forward bend for 5-10 breaths. You don't need to reach for your feet--you may reach for your shins or even your knees. The intention is to lengthen the spine and reduce the gap between your thighs and lower abdominals. It's not at all important for the head to reach or even approach the legs--just focus on lengthening, while grounding the sit bones on the floor. [http://www.yogajournal.com/pose/seated-forward-bend/]
3. Janu sirsasana (head to knee pose): Bend the right knee, forming 90 degree or larger angle. Try to square the hips (so that the right one isn't way back)--you may use a block or hard pillow to support that hip if necessary. While exhaling, fold over your left leg. Stay for 5-10 breaths, and then switch to the left side. [http://www.yogajournal.com/pose/head-to-knee-forward-bend/]
4. Baddha Konasana (bound angle pose): From Dandasana, bend the knees and draw the heels toward the pelvis, letting the knees drop to the sides. Open your feet like a book using your hands, and while exhaling lean forward, lengthening the spine, with the chest approaching the feet. (alternatively, you don't need to lean forward. Stay with a straight spine and the chin tucked in.) Stay for 10 breaths or longer; with a straight back this can be a meditative pose. [http://www.yogajournal.com/pose/bound-angle-pose/]
5. Upavishta Konasana (wide-angle seated forward bend): Spread your legs wide (about 90 degrees), and on the exhale lean forward to reaching for your shins (or feet!), while lengthening the spine. Stay for 5-10 breaths. [http://www.yogajournal.com/pose/wide-angle-seated-forward-bend/]
6. Reclined spinal twist: From dandasana (after exiting the previous pose), recline your back on your mat, with shoulder blades flat on the floor. Draw your right knee to your chest, extend your right arm out to the side, with the palm flat on the floor. On the exhale move your knee toward the left side toward the floor, with the left hand resting on your right knee. Turn your head to the right side. Stay for 5-10 breaths, allowing gravity to do its work. Repeat on the other side. [http://www.yogaoutlet.com/guides/how-to-do-reclined-spinal-twist-in-yoga/]
7. Ananda Balasana (Happy Baby pose): While lying down, pull your knees to your chest. Place hands on outsides of feet, opening your knees wider than your torso. Press your feet into hands while pulling down on feet, creating resistance. Instead of holding the feet, you could also be holding the ankles if that is more feasible. [http://www.prevention.com/fitness/yoga/12-yoga-poses-open-your-hips?s=2]
9. Sukasana: While lying down, bend your knees and place the feet flat on the floor. Bring soles of feet together and let knees fall out to sides. Shoulder blades should be flat on the floor, and hands can be on either side with palms up, or resting on the belly. If this is too much, straighten the legs and take some rest in savasana (corpse pose, lying down like sukasana and resting with legs extended). [http://www.prevention.com/fitness/yoga/12-yoga-poses-open-your-hips?s=3]
I hope you will find these useful. If any of these don't feel comfortable, given your hip issues, you may omit them.
AFTER GOING THROUGH THESE FOR THE FIRST TIME I FEEL AMAZING ALREADY!!!! You are a gift from the gods Alexia- thank you sooooo much! This is certainly worth getting up an hour early for (since the cats are ususally walking on my head anyway)... and the realization of my breathing while doing these makes things even better. I am a very happy camper this morning!