I can take a good guess at what you may be thinking about your hip and leg tension, especially if you sit or stand all day. Or you might not be in either category if you have a goal to improve the health and strength of your lower body. This blog will provide guidance about how yoga can keep your lower body healthy. I have experienced most of what I mentioned- lots of sitting, standing, and recovering from an injury and surgery. More recently I had a job that I was sitting for a majority of the day. This became painful after sitting for close to an hour. Getting up for a break resulted in getting up very slowly and walking like a mummy! Again, this is from personal experience and seeing and hearing complaints from more than a few co-workers. Yes, age also has something to do with this. Your body changes over time. Either way, this is a reminder if we do not use what we have we can disrupt our abilities.
Results from tense hips and legs can include:
1. stiffness
2. aches
3. cramps
4. limited range of motion (ROM)
Most of us use our lower body (aka large group muscles: quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes) daily for general movements to:
1. walk
2. climb stairs
3. squat (to pick things up something, sit, or enter and exit a car)
Although there is a common thought that limited flexibility stops you from doing or trying yoga, yoga offers several poses to help with tense hips and legs. A consistent yoga practice can help improve the mentioned issues and general movements. Yoga helps lengthen your muscles to keep them active to make it easier to move about. For those new to yoga or to certain poses, these are tools and modifications to help ease you through your practice:
1. use your breath (inhales and exhales are key)
2. personal judgment when posing
3. blocks or blocks and strap set
4. a strap or a towel
5. using a wall for support
6. a blanket or folded mat for support while seated
It’s important to mention there is tension from using or not using certain muscles, or stress. There is different tension during a yoga practice. For the yoga tension (when doing a pose), the key is to continue to use your breath. Inhale and exhale yourself through the tension you feel. The exhales allow you to get deeper in your pose. Your breath will allow you to get the most out of your pose (physically and mentally). Also, you will need to judge how deep you take yourself in a pose. It is best to honor your body. Meaning, you can make progress in your yoga journey even if you decide not to pose at your deepest (flexibility) level. The key is to continue to use your breath to help you keep moving to maintain and strengthen your hips, legs, and your entire body! The key is to continue to use your breath to help you keep moving to maintain and strengthen your hips, legs, and your entire body!
To learn more about relieving tension visit our Freedom Yoga YouTube page and our free course.
Angela Franklin is a passionate yoga instructor, who wants to empower women to be their own advocate to improve their holistic health. She also has a background in the medical, mental health, and fitness professions. To get more information about yoga, wellness, and courses visit: https://freedomyogawithangelafranklin.com/