Tadasana or spine stretch: Stretch fully, raising your arms above your head (make sure you feel the stretch on the sides of your outer arms, waist and back), standing on your toes. Go up and down from toes to heels slowly, 10 times. Relax. If you cannot do this without support, you can take the support of a table and go up and down your toes. Wonderful fall ankle strength, stability and spine.
Week 2 Tadasana variation (don’t try before): Stand at the door. Try to touch the top of the door frame and hold it for 10 seconds. Repeat three times.
Toe touches: Try to touch your toes while putting pressure on the back of the legs, not spine. Normally, when we try to touch our toes, we don’t focus on the back of our legs. We focus on the activity of touching our toes, hence putting pressure on the spine. Even if you can’t touch your toes, it’s totally fine. What is your need to focus on is your calves, back of the knees and back of the thighs. Stretching that entire area is going to give you a lot of relief and increase circulation. It also strengthens your legs and reduces knee and ankle issues. Here, I am talking from personal experience.
Side bends. The back and sides under the shoulders till the hips become jammed up when we sit constantly. Those with back and elbow pain will benefit from side-bends drastically. Side bends whether sitting on a sofa or standing helps release these muscles and increases circulation in this area. Start with 10 each and build it up to 30 each.
Ankle strengthening. Stand in front of a high table and rest your hands on the table. Keep your knees straight and your feet should be at six inches distance from each other on the floor. Start moving your ankles and toes in an upward and downward position. This means that when you move upward you are standing on your toes and then when your feet move down with the help of support of the table, your heel touches the floor and your toes are facing upwards. Repeat this 10 times.
Knee strengthening. Put your foot put on the edge of a table or a wall like you are stretching it, with the other leg at right angle to support. Press the stretched leg against the table for 30 seconds. Make sure that the knee is as straight as it can be at the stretch should be felt behind the knee and behind the thigh.
Elbow strengthening: Stand straight with your feet apart at a distance of 2 feet between your feet. Make sure you are balanced well. Then look straight in front of you and hold your arms in a boxer’s pose. Unlike a boss boxer, very slowly without jerky movements, extend your right up to your left side diagonally and bring back to normal. Then do the same with your left arm, it should go diagonally to the right. Repeat these diagonal punches initially for a count of 10 and build it up to 30 counts each side. This is great for arm and elbow strengthening.
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