![]() ![]() When you are ready, straighten the left leg, releasing the right foot down to the floor. ![]() Bring your hands to the chest in Anjali Mudra, keeping the breastbone lifted and the neck long. Balancing on the left leg, lift your right leg and place the right ankle on or across the left knee, opening your right knee out to the right. Your torso will come slightly forward, but keep your abdomen lifted and your spine straight. Eka Pada Utkatasana (One-Legged Chair Pose)įrom Tadasana, bend the knees as if to sit in a chair. For a deeper stretch: Hinge at the hips, bowing forward to bring elbows toward the knees. Hold for 5–10 breaths, then unwind the legs and arms and return to Tadasana. Sit deeper with the tailbone lowered, keeping the elbows and the sternum lifted. You may wrap the right calf around the left and hook the toes to the inside of the left ankle. ![]() Balancing on the left, lift the right leg high to cross the right knee over the left. Lift the elbows up and away from the face to bring more breadth across the upper back.īend the knees as if to sit in a chair. Cross them, placing the left elbow on top of the right elbow, then bend the elbows and wrap the forearms around each other, bringing the palms or backs of the hands together. Standing in Tadasana, lift the arms to shoulder height and bring them together in front of the sternum. (Photo: Andrew Clark Clothing: Calia) Garudasana (Eagle Pose) Exhale, bend your elbows out to the sides, pull up on your toes, lengthen the front and sides of your torso, and gently lower into the forward bend. Keep your sitting bones high, release your hamstrings, and contract your front thighs. (Variation: Pass a strap under the ball of each foot and hold the straps.) Inhale, lift and lengthen your torso to a flat back. Slide the index and middle fingers of each hand between the big toes and the second toes and grip the big toes firmly. Exhale and bend forward from your hip joints, reaching toward your feet. Contract your thigh muscles to lift your kneecaps. Stand with your inner feet parallel and about six inches apart. 10 great yoga glute stretches (Photo: Andrew Clark Clothing: Calia) Hasta Padangusthasana (Hand to Big Toe Pose) Here’s a series of great glute stretches to keep you gliding along. Thank goodness for glutes because, without them, we couldn’t walk on two legs, according to Andrew McGonigle, author of Supporting Yoga Students with Common Injuries and Conditions. That’s what keeps you erect, aligned, and in good posture, whether you’re sitting or standing. Also part of the gluteal muscle system are the gluteus medius and gluteus minimus-smaller, more interior muscles that are essential for internal hip rotation. They help you rotate your hips externally and they support your SI (sacroiliac) joint. Glute stretches extend the largest muscles in the body-and some of the most powerful. See also: 10 Yoga Poses to Prevent Dead Butt Syndrome What are we actually stretching? Another benefit: moving those posterior muscles counteracts the effects of all this sitting we’ve been doing. Glute stretches can prevent all that-and improve your flexibility and mobility. If you’re weak back there, you may be at risk of knee injuries, hamstring strains, ankle sprains, lower back injuries, and other misalignments.īut if those muscles are too tight, you may experience other problems: tight hips and hamstrings tension in the lower back pain in the knees, pelvis, and low back. Strong, stable glutes help us move with ease and prevent pain and injury, according to the International Sports Sciences Association. Stretching the gluteal muscles isn’t just about having a pretty peach. But you’ll want to balance all that squatting and lunging with glute stretches that keep those buttock muscles stretched and toned. If you’re working hard to tighten things up back there, you’re not alone. Summer shorts, skirts, and swimwear definitely put your backside on display. Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! ![]()
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