Here is how to use the Quarantine period as an opportunity to boost your immuine system: Yoga poses help build up immunity. Here are a couple which will help in developing resistance to illnesses.
With Europe becoming the epicentre of COVID-19, millions of people have abandoned their routine lives and are spending their entire time within the safety of their homes. Gyms are closed and the streets as well as the parks have been abandoned by joggers who never missed a day of exercise. However, the pandemic makes it absolutely necessary for you to stay at home to slow down its spreading.
Now that you don’t have the equipment to work out and neither the space to jog around, what can you do to release all the pent-up stress, energy, tension as well as anxiety? What can you do to remain physically fit?
The answer is pretty simple: Yoga.
Here are some yoga poses that you can try out at home sans any equipment to boost your immunity and to stay healthy during the time of coronavirus outbreak. (Ps. Always take your doctor's advice before trying certain poses especially if you suffer from any ailments)
The Bridge Pose
Not only does this pose enhance your flexibility but it also opens up the blood vessels thus facilitating improved blood circulation throughout the body.
It relaxes and strengthens the thymus, an organ in your chest that helps in increasing the amount of T-lymphocytes or T-cells. This is important as T- cells play an integral role in building up the immune system.
The posture also helps regulate the thyroid gland. The thyroid gland works like a regulator, calibrating the body's metabolic rate as well as heart and digestive function, muscle control, brain development, mood and bone maintenance. It makes hormones that affect how fast your whole body works and how it uses energy depending on the external environment and internal reactiveness to the circumstances. Your body uses thyroid hormone to increase your energy and raise your body temperature when needed. For example, that helps replace the heat your body loses when exposed to cold weather.
How to try:
Firstly, lie on the yoga mat with your face facing the ceiling. Bend your legs at the knees. Then place both your arms at your sides with the palms facing down. Lift your hips by pressing your feet on the yoga mat until your back is no longer touching the floor. Try and touch your chin to your chest and focus on breathing deeply. Hold this posture for 10-15 seconds.
The Cobra Pose
The cobra pose will wake up your body and mind after you laze around in bed all day. Effective in opening up the back muscles, it will also leave you feeling refreshed.
Practising this pose daily will help in developing a very strong backbone and increase flexibility. Apart from this, it helps to strengthen the muscles of the chest, shoulders, arms, and abdomen.
Bhujang asana.
This asana also helps in activating the pancreas and insulin regulation. It also helps in expanding the diaphragm which again increases one's lung capacity.
How to try:
Lie face down on your yoga mat with your toes and forehead touching the mat. Your legs should be close to each other. With your palms on the floor, try to lift your upper body off the floor, all with the support of your upper limbs. Arch your body forward slightly with your lower abdomen in contact with the floor. Hold the position for 5 breaths and then bring yourself down to your original resting pose.
These yoga poses will keep you engaged during the duration of the lockdown. Stay tuned for more such updates!