Surya Namaskar

 

Surya Namaskar For Weight Loss

All set to achieve your quarantine fitness goals but struggling with time crunch? Well, worry no more, with Surya Namaskar, you can start your weight loss and fitness journey effortlessly. Also known as Sun Salutation, this yoga workout has been renowned for helping individuals get fitter through its 12 yoga postures. Add this exercise to your early morning routine along with some warm-up stretches to perform Surya Namaskar for weight loss.

1. What Is Surya Namaskar?2. Benefits Of Surya Namaskar3. Surya Namaskar for Weight Loss4. How To Do The Surya Namaskar5. Surya Namaskar For Weight Loss: FAQsWhat Is Surya Namaskar?

Connoting obeisance (Namaskar) to the Sun (Surya), Surya Namaskar is a Sanskrit word and constitutes a set of 12 intensive yoga asanas that have an exceptional impact on both, your mental and physical health. It is a complete body workout that forms the foundation of power yoga and promotes weight loss.

It has been recognised as one of the most effective ways to achieve weight loss and has been tried and tested by experts throughout centuries. It strengthens your body and core muscles, improves blood flow, synchronises your breathing and keeps your body in shape. 

Though the exercise can be performed any time during the day, doing it on an empty stomach would give you the maximum benefits.

Benefits Of Surya Namaskar To perform Surya Namaskar for weight loss, you need to practice is regularly and consistently. Our body is made up of three elements – kapha, pitta, and vata. Regular practice of the Surya Namaskar will balance all three of them. Some more benefits of the exercise includes:

Flexibility

Glowing skin

Strengthening of joints and muscles

Better digestive system

Better mental health

Detoxification and blood circulation

Surya Namaskar for Weight Loss

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Surya Namaskar is an ideal workout regime to achieve weight loss without the pressure of stepping out to gyms. A perfect escape from your work-from-home routine, all you need to do is get onto the yoga mat with a smile and enjoy the process. Add a minimum of two minutes of meditation before and after the asana to detoxify both your mind and body.

Doing one round of Surya Namaskar burns approximately 13.90 calories, and the magical number to apply Surya Namaskar for weight loss is 12. You can start by doing 5 sets of it daily and then increase it up to 12 with time, which will help you lose 416 calories. Eager to try Surya Namaskar for weight loss? Read ahead to understand the asanas in-depth.

TIP: Hold every pose for at least 5 seconds to achieve the best results. Also, doing this asana in front of the Sun would help you achieve better health results since it would increase your Vitamin D3 levels.

How To Do The Surya Namaskar

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Begin by standing straight on your mat with your shoulders broadened and hands by your side. Inhale as you lift both your hands upwards and exhale as you bring them together to a namaskar mudra.

TIP: Remember to keep your back straight at all times to avoid putting pressure on your lower back.

Asana 2 – Hastauttanasana (Raised Arms Pose)

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The next step is to transition from the prayer pose to do a back arch. To do so, inhale elongate your body by raising your hands up and then bending yourself backwards.

TIP: To feel a proper stretch, push your heels down on the floor while reaching high for the ceiling with your hands.

Asana 3 – Hastapadasana (Hand to Foot Pose)

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Next, exhale and bend down from your waist, making sure that your back is straight. If you are a beginner, you can opt for modification and bend your knees to keep your palms on the floor for support.

TIP: The goal is not to touch the floor with your palms, it is to keep your back straight no matter how to lower you bend.

Asana 4 – Ashwa Sanchalanasana (Equestrian Pose)

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Next, inhale as you push your left leg back as far as you can while keeping your right leg between both your palms. Touch your left knee to the ground and focus on pushing your pelvis towards the floor while keeping your back straight and looking upwards. Breathing is essential in every workout. With time, try to focus on breathing from your stomach which will also help you achieve weight loss since it will activate your core.

TIP: Focus on the inhalation and exhalation each time.Asana 5 – Dandasna (Stick Pose)

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Also known as the plank pose, exhale and bring your right leg back while making sure both the legs are hip-width apart. Keep your arms perpendicular to the floor and use them to balance your body weight. Take deep breaths. Be aware of where your hips and chest are placed – it shouldn’t be too high or too low.

TIP: Remember to align your entire body in one straight frame, like a stick.

Asana 6 – Ashtanaga Namaskar (Salutation with Eight Body Parts)

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Now, exhale and gently bring your knees, chest, and forehead on the floor while pushing your hips upwards. Tuck your toes and remain in this posture while taking deep breaths.

TIP: This pose helps relieve anxiety and stress and strengthens your back muscles.Asana 7 – Bhujangasna (Cobra Asana)

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Next, inhale as you raise your chest up and slide forward. Make sure to keep your hands firmly on the floor and your elbows close to your ribs. To avoid hurting your lower back, make sure you look upwards, push your chest outwards and your pelvis towards the floor.

TIP: If you feel uncomfortable at any point, then feel free to relax your body by taking a few deep breaths.

Asana 8 – Adho mukh savana (Downward-Facing Dog)

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From the cobra pose, exhale and lift your waist and hips up while keeping your hands and legs firmly on the floor. Your body should form a triangle. Remember to keep your back straight and bend your knees a little if you feel a painful stretch on your hamstrings.

TIP: It is okay if your heels don’t touch the floor completely.Asana 9 – Ashwa Sanchalanasana (Equestrian Pose)

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Now, inhale and return to the Equestrian Pose, but this time with your right leg. To do so, bend down from the previous posture, and bring your left leg in between your palms while keeping your right knee on the floor. Tuck your toes in and make sure to keep your left leg perpendicular to the floor.

TIP: To get better results, keep your core activated by drawing your navel in, and clenching your buttocks.

Asana 10 – Hastapadasana (Hand to Foot Pose)

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Same as Asana 3, Exhale and bring your right leg back to the front and try to keep both your legs straight while keeping your back bent. This asana is one of the very few that helps to strengthen your hamstrings (back of your legs).

TIP: It is essential to relax your body while doing this asana to ensure adequate blood flow.

Asana 11 – Hastauttanasana (Raised Arms Pose)

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Inhale and return to Pose 2, making sure you stretch your entire body – from your toes to the tip of your fingers.

TIP: While stretching, make sure to keep your biceps close to your ears, and your shoulders rounded.

Asana 12 – Tadasana (Standing or Palm Tree Pose)

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Lastly, exhale and bring your hands down.

TIP: There are many variations of Surya Namaskar. Following one and practicing it every day will help you lose weight quicker.

Surya Namaskar For Weight Loss: FAQs Q. Is Surya Namaskar enough for weight loss?

A. Doing Surya Namaskar at the same time every day will indeed help you to lose weight. However, for best results, combine it with light warm-up routines and other yoga postures for a complete fitness experience.

Q. How much time do you need to practice Surya Namaskar?

A. Considering one round of Surya Namaskar takes about 3.5 to 4 minutes, you need to set aside a minimum of 40 minutes per day, and practice it 6 days per week.

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Yoga Poses

 

 Yoga Poses You Should Do Everyday

Yoga affects both the mind and the body removing stress, anxiety, eliminating depression etc.

Yoga is a guide for humanity that leads us gently towards the path of a rich and full life. This ancient practice has been around for thousands of years as a scientific tradition of wellness. Yoga is a holistic practice that has numerous mental and physical health benefits.  With 84 lakh asanas, hundreds of pranayama or breathing techniques and meditations, yoga covers all aspects of our life. It also includes chanting, mantras, mudras and more.

Yoga gives you a range of benefits such as weight loss, weight management, better strength, increased flexibility, healthy organs, a strong liver, lungs and digestive system, improved immunity and so much more. Yoga preserves your youth and beauty increasing your longevity. You also enjoy the advantages of fitness, high stamina, healthy hair, radiant skin, a toned figure, and peace. By combining movement with breath, yoga nourishes you from within. Practising regularly at least thrice a week helps one improve aspects of their physical, mental and spiritual well-being. Follow these ten simple asanas as told by Spiritual Master, Lifestyle Coach and Yogapreneur Grand Master Akshar that are effective and can be included in your daily fitness routine.

TIP: You can hold each posture for up to 30 seconds and repeat the set 3 times.

Siddhasana

Formation of the posture

Stretch both the legs forward

Fold left knee, and bring the left heel closer to the groin area of the body

Bend the right knee, and take it ahead of the left ankle

Place the right foot on top of the left ankle, Lift your right foot and place it just above your left ankle. Bring your right heel into your groin area. Do not force if you feel discomfort

Slide the toes of your right foot into the space between the left calf muscles.

Turn your palms facing upwards on your knees should touch the floor.

Also Read: Practice These 5 Yoga Asanas Regularly To Stay Safe From Injuries

Sukhasana – Happy Pose

Formation of the posture

Sit with the back straight, and both legs stretched out

Tuck the left leg in the right thigh and right leg in the left thigh

Gently place your palms on your knees

Make sure that your spine is straight while you do this asana

Ardha Padmasana

Formation of the posture

Start this pose by coming into the Sukhasana pose

Facing upwards, place right foot on the left thigh

Make sure that you are gently pishing your knees towards the floor

Keep your back straight and repeat on the other side too

Vajrasana

Formation of the posture

Stand straight, arms by your side

Lean forward and drop knees on the mat. Make sure that the movement is swift

Pelvis on heels, and toes outward, the thighs should be pressing the calf muscles

Keep the heels closer to each other

Also Read: Cat Stretch Exercise: Know How And Why This Yoga Pose Is A Back Pain Reliever

To experience all of Yoga’s benefits, focus on being regular and committed to your practice. If you are a beginner, start slow and build your practice over some time. Yoga is for all and can be started at any age. It builds discipline and encourages self-care. Yoga brings peace, health, positivity, clarity and overall well-being. Asanas are known as the basic building blocks for your yoga journey.

Read more articles on Yoga

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Cardio exercises

 

Ask the Doctors: Older adults still need regular exercise

Dear Doctor: Our dad is 78 years old, and he has started spending a lot more time indoors and on his recliner. He’s in good health, but he says he’s getting too old for exercise to matter. What can we say to persuade him to become active again?

Answer: Exercise is an important part of ongoing health and fitness, and, despite your dad’s feelings to the contrary, we never age out of our need for it.

Studies show that becoming or remaining active as an older adult offers a wide array of benefits.

Regular exercise can improve cardiovascular health, help lower blood pressure, lessen the risk of chronic diseases such as Type 2 diabetes, colon cancer and heart disease, help improve balance, strength, flexibility and stamina, maintain healthy weight and avoid joint problems, help with swelling and pain due to arthritis and lower the risk of falls.

Exercise has mental health benefits as well. Older adults who incorporate even moderate amounts of exercise into their daily lives report having a better mood and outlook, improved cognitive function and a lessening of symptoms of anxiety and depression.

Remaining physically active also has been shown to help older adults maintain their ability to live independently.

Think in terms of a mix of activities. And be creative. Walking, jogging, swimming and biking all fit the bill for moderate aerobic activities for endurance, and so do dancing, raking the lawn or playing badminton.

We lose muscle mass as we age, so strength and resistance exercises, such as weightlifting or Pilates, are important.

Activities like stretching, tai chi and yoga help keep joints loose and muscles limber.

Guidelines recommend that people 65 and older do at least two and a half hours of moderate aerobic exercise a week, which averages out to a manageable 20-ish minutes a day.

Even better than sharing this information with your dad, provide a good example. It’s not just older adults who fall short of the recommended levels of exercise and physical activity. As many as half of all adults miss the mark. Maybe choose an activity to do together once or twice a week and get up and moving.

A final thought: If your dad has supplementary Medicare coverage, check whether it includes SilverSneakers, a health-and-fitness program designed for older adults that will give him access to a range of fitness options including gyms, community centers and other fitness locations.

Your dad should check with his doctor or other health care provider before making any significant changes to his exercise regimen or activity. They can evaluate his condition and fitness level and point him to appropriate activities.

Dr. Eve Glazier is an internist and associate professor of medicine, and Dr. Elizabeth Ko is an internist and assistant professor of medicine, both at UCLA Health.

02

Gal Gadot’s Trainer Swears by Sprinter Lunges For a Stronger Core and Cardio Training

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Those heavy-breathing, sweaty, heart-pumping moments in a workout are challenging, but they're also so rewarding — there's no denying how hard your body is working. Sprinter lunges always get me to that place.

"Sprinter lunges develop speed [and] power, build muscle mass, improve balance and coordination, strengthen the core, and correct imbalances within the body, while also improving metabolic conditioning (cardio)," Magnus Lygdback, EREPS-certified celebrity trainer to Gal Gadot and Mark Ruffalo, says.

According to Lygdback, this lunge variation targets the entire muscle system that manages your core, like your glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, calves, and intrinsic foot muscles. Your hips, knees, spine, ankles, and feet are getting worked, too.

But, don't let this news excite you to the point of doing sprinter lunges daily. Lygdback says they should only be done once every 3-5 days (no more than 2-3 times a week), to avoid overuse injuries. He adds that the move fits well in any workout intending to develop the glutes or to boost athletic performance.

Listen to your body, too — if you're unprepared for this dynamic and explosive exercise, know that you can potentially experience knee and lower back pain.

"If you feel uncomfortable with the exercise, prepare yourself with planks or anti-rotational core exercises, as well as reverse lunges and step-ups," Lygdback says.

"Build your spinal stability with plank variations and dynamic core work. Prepare your knees and hamstrings with split squats, other lunge variations (in multiple directions), squats, standing on one leg, etc."

Once you're ready to take sprinter lunges on, Lygdback offered the step-by-step instructions below to get you started.

His biggest tip: remember to keep your shin as vertical over your leg as possible during the lunge portion of the move — you're shin shouldn't be over your toes. This will prevent you from using your quad-and knee-strength over the power from your glutes and hips.

Image Source: Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Benjamin Stone

Start standing — step your right foot back to a lunge position and place your right hand on the ground.

Explosively drive your left heel into the ground to extend your knee and hip, while accelerating your right knee to your chest. Let your left hand rapidly move toward your chest as a reciprocal movement.

Reverse the movement to place your right hand and foot back to the ground and repeat.

Try to keep the shin of the working leg as vertical as possible throughout.

Click here for more health and wellness stories, tips, and news.

03

13-year-old holds exercise class to benefit kids' mental health

As 13-year-old Sadie Feingold prepared for her bat mitzvah project this year, she had one goal in mind: to stop the stigma.

The eighth-grader from Port Washington knew she wanted to focus on mental health for her community service project ahead of her bat mitzvah, or Jewish coming-of-age ceremony. She wanted to encourage kids and teens to talk about mental health struggles and help normalize it.

She said she was inspired to focus on this topic because of her own previous struggles with mental health.

"The whole point was to raise awareness to it and normalize it," Sadie said.

So after doing some research with her mom about the connection between exercise and children’s mental health, they came up with a plan: She would host an exercise class at their synagogue for local teens and families, and raise money to support the North Shore Child and Family Guidance Center in Roslyn Heights, a mental health agency that treats children and families.

The Guidance Center said her efforts have raised nearly $2,000.

"People don’t really talk about mental health as they do with physical health," Sadie said. ''I think that some people feel like it’s not important, and I want people to feel like they should be able to talk about their emotions, as they would talk about like how they feel physically."

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The idea originated back in the winter — before the pandemic took hold. She and her mom read a piece in The New York Times that reported how even a moderate amount of exercise in adolescents can raise their endorphin levels, and in turn, help improve their mental health. Endorphins are hormones that promote feelings of natural well-being.

Sadie continued doing research on the topic, and once restrictions lifted and they could congregate outside, her class came together.

They invited family, friends and others to congregate in the parking lot of The Community Synagogue in Port Washington, and on Sept. 13, about 35 kids, teens and adults participated in the 45-minute class of individual exercises, led by a fitness instructor they knew.

They took donations at the class to support the Guidance Center — and encouraged those who couldn't attend to donate as well. Sadie also gave out T-shirts with "#StopTheStigma" printed on them.

"I think it’s important … that kids feel comfortable, and so they’re not alone in dealing with these issues," Sadie's mom Jessica Feingold said. "It’s just something that tons of people deal with now more than ever, and I think it’s important to get that message out there."

Sadie's bat mitzvah had been originally scheduled for June, and was postponed to Sept. 26 because of the pandemic. But her mitzvah project only grew in relevance during this period.

Regina Barros-Rivera, associate executive director at the Guidance Center, said their work at the center has become more prevalent now, as the pandemic greatly affected children and teens. An effort like this one promotes "positive change" adolescents need, she said.

"For this young lady to create something — not only just that the exercise is good for you … it’s more that she’s creating, and she’s bringing," she said. "Maybe more projects like this could be created."

Barros-Rivera said the benefits from exercise and moving around for teens extend well beyond just energy level — it helps prevent them from ruminating, overthinking or feeling depressed or unable to move.

She added that the Guidance Center is offering virtual services for adolescents and families who might need help coping, and encourages them to reach out for help if they need it — even if they just have a question.

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