Simple Yoga Poses That Will Help You to Increase Your Flexibility and Decrease Soreness and Pain

You might be wondering why you should want to
increase your flexibility. After all, it’s not something
we typically think of in regards to our overall health
and well-being.

However, your flexibility plays a major role in many
aspects of living a healthy lifestyle, including your
ability to complete exercise routines properly.

Increasing your flexibility will also help you avoid
back and shoulder pain while improving the overall health
of your joints and muscles.

In Yoga, it’s not always about doing the pose perfectly
but rather feeling the stretch and your flexibility plays
a huge part in that.

Here are a couple of easy poses to help you get started:

Standing Forward Fold

This pose will stretch your hamstrings as well as your
lower back. Try holding it for 30-50 seconds at a time.

Step 1: Begin by standing with your feet shoulder-width
apart with your knees slightly bent.

Step 2: Slowly lower your upper body so that it hangs all
the way forward, dropping your arms to the floor. Try to
touch the floor with either your fingertips or the palms
of your hands.

Step 3: Hold for 30-50 seconds and release.

You can enhance this pose by opening your shoulders.

Here’s how to do that:

Follow steps 1-3 above, but interlace your fingers together
behind your lower back and bring your arms over your head
towards the floor in front of you as far as you are
comfortable with.

Make sure you move your shoulders away from your ears,
spreading them out and stretching those muscles.

And yet another way to increase flexibility through yoga
is with the downward dog. Chances are you have heard of this
pose as it’s one of the most common ones done by both
beginners and seasoned yoga enthusiasts.

Here’s the right way to complete the Downward Facing Dog:

Step 1:  Start with your hands and knees on the floor in
a comfortable position with your buttocks pointed out and
slightly up.  

Step 2: Next, place your knees directly below your hips
and your hands slightly forward (towards your shoulders). 

Spread the palms of your hands out on the floor and turn your
toes under. 

Step 3: Lift your knees up by curling your toes under as you
move. Straighten your knees, draw your thighs back and lift
your legs higher. Reach your heels down. 

Step 4:  Hold this position ensuring that your arms are straight
and your thighs are pressed back, elongating your spine.
Breathe in deeply and smoothly.

Step 5: Lower your knees to the floor to release the position.

Let us know how your flexibility changes over time while practicing these poses.