Sept_13

YOGA RX BY SHAMEEM AKTHAR
Your hips don’t lie : Don’t neglect these hard workers
Having firm hips or butt muscles is very important, as they
hold us up. Beyond the aesthetics of a firm set of buttocks,
they have a functional relevance to how we move and stay
upright. Strong hip muscles facilitate good motion; they
are important for tough tasks like running (or even walking)
up the stairs as well as easy ones like leaning back to
sit on a chair. They align the spine and prevent pressure to
the lower back if they are strong. Weak hip muscles could
be the cause behind a wrongly curved spine that stresses
the lower back and causes the abdomen to pooch out.
Yet, like many hard workers in our body, they too are neglected.
Unfortunately, they are also the most likely to be
ruined by bad technique in exercise: running can cause
tight hamstrings that will, in turn, strain the hip muscles
and the wrong type of abdominal exercises will stress the
spine and do nothing towards toning the hips. So, it is important
to use the wisdom of yoga as an assured way towards
toning the hips.
There are several poses that are specially qualified to do so,
such as the pelvic tilt (kandharasana), the basic cobra pose
(bhujangasana), the standing Dancing Natraj pose (Natrajasana),
and the upward plank pose (setu asana). All the
squats are powerful hip strengtheners. Variations of the
squat pose (utkatasana) are ideal in this regard. Remember
that it is best to do both dynamic and static versions of
the poses for more dramatic tone at the hips. You can do
the dynamic version one day, and the static the next to develop
a different muscle fibre tone. The number of repeats
while doing dynamic versions should also steadily increase,
instead of remaining the same. If time is a constraint, you
can reduce the number of poses but extend the duration
in each for more spectacular impact.
YOGIC MOVES
Plank pose (setuasana)
floor. This may be tough initially,
especially for those who are stiff; in
that case, try it with the legs slightly
bent at the knees. If there is no neck
problem, you can tilt the head back,
just rest it out; returning to the pose
regularly, with slight modifications,
will help you reach the final pose
without too much discomfort. Those
with neck problems can look ahead
instead of tilting the head back.
Benefits: This pose tones the whole
body, especially the hips, thighs and
calves. It also boosts immunity and
gives you an emotional high, alleviating
depression.
Model: Shriram P Achrekar,
Harmony Interactive Centre
Photographer: Haresh Patel
Sit on your hips, legs out in front.
Place palms flat at your hips, fingers
pointed ahead. (Some people prefer to
point the fingers backwards, to take
the strain off the wrists.) Lift hips up,
making the legs as straight as possible
with the feet becoming flat on the
shifting the weight to your arms
and the legs. Stay up for a few
seconds. Repeat a few times.
This pose is usually used as a counter
pose to any forward bend, like the
seated forward bend (paschimottanasana).
Also, those who are new to this
pose may experience some cramping
as muscles that have never been fully
exploited are challenged. You need to
Shameem Akthar is a Mumbai-based
yoga acharya. If you have any
queries for her, mail us or email at
contact.mag@harmonyindia.org.
(Please consult your physician before
following the advice given here)
30 harmony celebrate age september 2013