Stay fit with yoga

Yoga experts list five emerging lifestyle diseases that can be cured through specific asanas. Monika Thakur tells you more

Everyday habits have made us inactive, lethargic and unfit. With such a fast-paced life and extremely busy schedules, the responsibility of keeping ourselves fit seems like a difficult one to take. Many of us sit at a desk for 10-12 hours a day, then we sit in cars and then again at home watching TV.

Practicing such an unhealthy lifestyle can lead us to the vicious circle of various health related problems that can also be life threatening. But doing yoga on a daily basis can keep the lifestyle diseases at bay.

“Yoga not only helps in strengthening your core but also increases concentration and better mental health. I can make people work for 10 hours simultaneously but if the same people were asked to close their eyes for just 15 minutes and concentrate, that will be a difficult task for them,” says yoga guru Deepak Jha.

Here are some of the top lifestyle diseases that can be controlled and even cured by simply doing yoga.

Obesity

According to the WHO, 1.2 billion people worldwide are officially classified as overweight. As per a study published in lancet, India is just behind US and China in this global hazard list of top 10 countries with the highest number of obese people. By following yoga, one can not only reduce weight but also make your body agile.

Following are the asanas that are good for obesity, and strengthen and stimulate the abdominal muscles and intestine:

• Nauka Asana (boat pose)
• Pawanmukt Asana (wind relieving pose)
• Bhujang Asana (cobra pose)
• Kapal Bhati pranayama
• Paschimottanasana (seated forward bend)
• Veerbhadrasana (warrior pose)
• Dandasana
• Poorvottanasana (upward plank pose )
• Shalabhasana (locust pose)
• Halasana (plough pose)

Dos and Don’ts

• Make sure that your feet and ankle are horizontally aligned to the floor, and not positioned vertically to the floor. This small very common mistake can change the amount of load that your back will bear during the asanas, and can lead to significantly sub-optimal results.
• If you have had a neck injury or a slipped disc, you would need a doctor’s approval to practice these asanas. Your head must remain on the floor as you practice it.

Diabetes

The diabetes capital of the world with as many as 50 million people suffering from type-II diabetes, India has a challenge to face. But adopting yoga can help in controlling fasting glucose and cholesterol levels. Some of the asanas that help stimulate the hormonal secretion of the pancreas, improves kidney and liver functioning and strengthens the abdominal muscles are:

• Vrikshasana (tree pose)
• Halasana (plough pose)
• Dhanurasana (bow pose)
• Ardha Matsyendrasana (half twist pose)

Heart diseases

The cardiovascular disease (CVD) in India has increased by 59 per cent from 23.2 million (1990) to 37 million (2010). It is one of major causes of death and disability in the world, killing 17.5 million people a year and over 23 million predicted deaths from cardiac diseases by 2030.

By following yoga in your fitness regime, the breathing techniques and yoga postures can work wonders on the respiratory system. It lowers blood pressure, increases lung capacity, lowers bad cholesterol levels, improves heart rate and boosts blood circulation.

There are different kinds of pranayamas which has many health benefits. Some of the asanas for a healthy heart are:

• Padangustha asana
• Janu Sirsasana (head-to-knee forward bend)
• Setu Bandha Sarvangasana (bridge pose)
• Tadasana (mountain pose)
• Dhanurasana (bow pose)
• Ardha Pincha Mayurasana (dolphin pose)
• Shavasana (corpse pose)

Dos and don'ts

• If you have any chronic medical condition, seek advice from your doctor.
• If you feel tired or discomfort, stop doing pranayama, lie down in shavasana while carrying out normal breathing.

Hypertension

Yoga is a great way to reduce stress-induced hypertension, while addressing its underlying causes. It pacifies the sympathetic nervous system. These asanas teach the muscles and mind to relax deeply, helping hypertension patients.

Some of the asanas to cure hypertension are:

• Mukhasvasana
• Uttanasana (standing forward bend )
• Shishuasana (child pose)
• Vajrasana (diamond pose)
• Paschimottanasana (forward bend pose)
• Ardha Matsyendrasana (sitting half spinal twist)
• Badhakonasana (butterfly pose)
• Janusirsasana (one-legged forward bend)
• Virasana (hero pose)
• Ardha Halasana (half plow pose)

Herniated (Slipped) disc 

A recent report indicates that 20 per cent of the young population in the bracket of 16-34 age groups are treated for back and spine conditions today. In India, 45 per cent of the people in these four cities neglect their pain for more than seven weeks which leads to delayed treatment and increases the risk of surgery. Here are some asanas that can cure herniated disc

• Ushtasana (camel pose)
• Shalbhasana (locust pose)
• Bhujangasana (cobra pose)

Do’s and Don’ts

• Avoid folding forward past the hips whether standing or sitting. The rounding of the spine tilts the vertebrae toward one another as vertebrae surrounding the herniated disc might pinch nerves and create greater pain. Forward bends can worsen your condition and prolong recovery time.
• Avoid abdominal specific exercises.