Have you wondered why most people complain of body stiffness during winter? Low temperatures in winter can make the joint fluid thicker, so they feel stiffer. As a result, their activity reduces. The inactivity further adds to muscle stiffness.
How to remove body stiffness?
An increase in activity, exercise or yoga is the best way to break this vicious cycle. Get, set and go with these yoga poses this winter to remove body stiffness and prevent aches.
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Sukshma Yoga
It is also known as subtle yoga. These are yogic warm-ups with gentle stretching and coordinated breathing, which results in deep relaxation. It readies you for a more dynamic sequence of yoga poses and other physical exercises. In Sukshma Yoga, the whole body (head scalp, eyebrows, eyeballs, area beneath eyes, sides of the nose, temples, ears, area behind ears, jaws, jawline to the chin and cheeks) is treated, relaxed and rejuvenated. These scientific exercises make us strong and supple.
Joint rotation or Body rotation
It removes body stiffness in the winter especially faced by the elderly and people with vata imbalance.
It includes clockwise and anticlockwise rotation of the neck, shoulder, wrist, waist and ankles with your attention on the breath.
For elbows, take a normal forceful breath, bend your elbows and close your fists. Breathe out a normal but forceful breath, straighten your elbows and open your fists. Similarly, practice for your knees.
For loosening up the hip muscles, keep hands on the waist or hold support if you need it (chair headrest or wall). Swing your leg from the hip without bending from the knee. Repeat with the other leg.
For fingers, breathe in to open them wide and make a fist while breathing out. Similarly, practice with your toes.
Spine Stretch
Stretch the spine in all six possible ways.
Mountain pose or Parvatasana - Stretching the spine upward
Triangle pose I and II or Trikonasana - Stretching the spine sideways. In Trikonasana I, you bend sideways where the same side hand touches the foot. In Trikonasana II, you bend sideways where the opposite side hand touches the foot
Forward bending pose or Hasta Padasana - Stretching the spine forward
Standing backward bending pose or Hasta Uttanasana - Stretching the spine backward as we do in the Surya Namaskar
Lateral arch pose or Ardha Kati Chakrasana - Stretching the spine laterally to form an arch
Cat cow pose
It brings flexibility to the spine, strengthens wrists and shoulders and improves blood circulation. It rejuvenates the energy in the body.
Padma Sadhna
One round of Padma Sadhna in a day loosens your body and gets into fluid body movements.
Shoulder stand or Sarvangasana
Go ahead with a shoulder stand if you are confident that your body strength can withstand the body weight on your shoulders. It is also known as the “Queen of asanas”. It strengthens the arms and shoulders, keeps the spine flexible, nourishes the brain with more blood and stretches the heart muscles by returning more venous blood to the heart. Overall, this asana removes body stiffness.
Bridge pose or Setu bandhasana
This asana relieves the tired back muscles to loosen the body stiffness.
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Final Thoughts
With the regular practice of these asanas, you will no more complain of body stiffness, irrespective of any season.
Based on inputs by Pooja Venugopal, Faculty, Sri Sri Yoga
Written by: Pratibha Sharma
Related link
How to enjoy this winter season more
FAQs on body stiffness
Other than winter, the causes of body stiffness can be a sprain, strain, infections like viral, flu, Covid-19, side effects of certain medications, sudden changes to an exercise regime and a long period of inactivity.
Watermelon, coconut water, pomegranate and beetroot juices are best for muscle recovery as they have hydrating, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
Turmeric, ginger, chia seeds, walnuts, flaxseed and spinach are good for body stiffness.
Niacin and magnesium deficiency causes body stiffness.
Food with a lot of sugar, fried food and white bread cause body stiffness if not eaten in moderation.
