Lower back pain sends people to the hospital more often than any other illness. When a person is faced with such an illness, he has to limit himself in almost everything and end up staying in bed for a long time. Unfortunately, there is no single approach to treating back pain. This is a difficult situation for doctors, because such sensations are always caused by different reasons.
Low back pain is often the result of a number of factors related to a person's lifestyle. Special exercises for back and lower back pain can help you get rid of discomfort easily. They can be aimed at improving the functioning of the cardiovascular system or stretching muscles - in any case, they will relieve pain and reduce the risk of new back discomfort.
Exercises for back and lower back pain
Benefits of Yoga
Many people, when thinking about Yoga, imagine relaxing music and smooth stretching movements. But this ancient art of healing is not limited to just that. From reducing the risk of postpartum depression to reducing the severity of inflammation in people with heart failure, there's just a little that can be gained from spending time on a yoga mat. And yes, this also applies to the intestines.
The most common cause of constipation, gas and other intestinal disorders is due to an unhealthy and fast-paced lifestyle. Poor diet, stress and hectic schedules can manifest in the digestive system as hard (or loose) stools or cause delayed bowel movements.
Read. Benefits of Yoga: 10 Amazing Things That Happen If You Do Yoga Every Day
NUTRITION
Nutrition after Shank Prakshalana has some peculiarities.
- The first meal is boiled rice. It will absorb the remaining salt and help prevent the buds from planting. Drinking before meals is not recommended.
- For the first 24-48 hours after practice, do not eat dairy products, meat, raw vegetables and fruits, or yeasted white bread. Also, avoid drinking alcohol and coffee.
- An hour after cleansing, take bifidobacteria and continue to take it for 5-7 days to help the intestines restore microflora.
Expect your first bowel movement after Shank Prakshalana no earlier than a day later.
RECOMMENDATIONS
- 1If, after drinking four glasses of water, you feel that the water does not leave the stomach, even to the point of nausea, then the pyloric neck (the valve between the stomach and duodenum) does not open as it should. Do a series of exercises two to three times without drinking more water. The disappearance of nausea will indicate that the passage is open and the process can continue.
- 2Sometimes a gas lock from fermentation products prevents the siphon from operating. Try pressing on your stomach with your hands or performing viparita karani mudra and padhastasana (if you have done them before and understand what we are talking about).
- 3In the worst case scenario, induce vomiting by tickling the base of the tongue with two fingers of your right hand. The relief will come radically and immediately. Rest afterwards and avoid fasting.
- 4After completing the sixth (on average) cycle, go to the toilet. Don't strain yourself under any circumstances - just sit on the toilet for a few minutes. It doesn’t matter whether the intestines worked or not.
- 5After each visit to the toilet, wash yourself with warm water - do not injure the mucous membranes with toilet paper.
- 6After washing, lubricate the anus with vegetable oil if the anal mucosa is irritated by salt.
- 7Clean twice a year.
Yoga and constipation
Yoga can help relieve pain and discomfort from a variety of digestive problems. Constipation is the most common gastrointestinal problem that significantly affects health-related quality of life, social functioning and compromises the ability to perform daily activities. Yoga is one of the alternative and complementary therapies that are known to play a positive role in various chronic gastrointestinal problems. A 2016 study of 37 people with chronic constipation who did yoga for a week found that yoga has a potential role in treating chronic constipation. However, additional ResearchGate randomized control trials are needed to confirm the results of the present study. EFFECT OF INTEGRATED APPROACH OF YOGA THERAPY ON CHRONIC CONSTIPATION – Published: June 2016.
Yoga relieves constipation in 2 ways:
- Fighting stress. Yoga helps manage stress, which can significantly improve the functioning of your digestive system. You may notice that you become constipated more often when you're stressed. Simple meditation and deep breathing can help get things moving.
- Massage of the digestive tract. Twisting poses, inverted poses and forward bends massage the digestive organs, increase blood flow and oxygen delivery, and promote increased peristalsis, facilitating the passage of feces. Regular practice of Yoga can lead to regular and healthy bowel movements.
“People with bloating or just a bit of excess fat around their midsection may find crunches very difficult or uncomfortable to perform. My rule of thumb is: if it hurts, don't do it. A little discomfort is normal, as long as it doesn't hurt. If you have a hard time doing crunches, it’s better to do twisting poses while lying on your back or sitting.” Rachel Weiss , Yoga Instructor
If you are looking for a natural way to relieve constipation, the poses below may help. Roll out your mat and practice regularly!
- Women's socks (35-39/18 colors) made of cotton with non-slip soles
Sale Items for sale
7.16 $ – 8.30 $
Rating 5.00 out of 5 based on a survey of 19 users
select Options
- Non-slip Yoga Mat (183x61x0.6cm/6 Colors) TPE for Beginners + Bag
Sale Items for sale
32.62 $ – 35.80 $
Rating 5.00 out of 5 based on a survey of 18 users
select Options
- Men's non-slip socks (39-44/4 colors) made of high quality cotton with pimples
Sale Items for sale
5.00 $
Rating 5.00 out of 5 based on a survey of 14 users
select Options
EXERCISES
Tilts to the side
Tiryaka-tadasana (tree bending pose under the pressure of the wind)
Starting position: standing, the distance between the feet is approximately 30 cm, fingers intertwined, palms open upward. The back is straight, breathing is free.
Movement: Without rotating your upper body, lean first to the left. Without stopping, straighten up and immediately lean to the right.
Repeat the tilt in both directions four times, i.e. alternately make eight tilts to the left and to the right.
Purpose: to open the pylorus of the stomach. Then, with each tilt, some of the water leaves it, moving into the duodenum and small intestine.
Episode duration: 10 seconds.
Waist rotation
Kati chakrasana
Starting position: standing, spread your legs, extend your right arm horizontally forward, and bend your left so that the index and thumb touch the right collarbone.
Movement: Rotate your torso by moving your outstretched arm as far back as possible. While doing this, look at your fingertips.
Make sure that the lower part of the body remains motionless; do not turn with the whole body, but only with the shoulder girdle.
Don't stop at the end of the turn - return to the starting position and immediately turn in the opposite direction.
Repeat this double exercise four times.
Goal: to force water to flow through the small intestine.
Episode duration: 10 seconds.
Cobra pose
Tiryaka bhujangasana (cobra pose with head twist)
Starting position: lying on your stomach, big toes touching the floor, hips raised above the floor; the feet are separated by about 30 cm (this is important).
Movement: Rotate your head, shoulders, and torso back until you see your opposite heel. If you turn to the right, you need to look at your left heel.
Without stopping the movement, return to the starting position and turn in the other direction.
Perform turns only with the upper part of the body - the lower one should remain parallel to the floor. Repeat this double exercise four times.
Goal: to force water to flow further through the small intestine.
Episode duration: 10-15 seconds.
Squatting turn
Udarkarnasasana
The most difficult exercise in the entire series, although it is accessible to anyone who does not suffer from diseases of the lower leg or meniscus.
Starting position: squat down, spread your feet to the sides by about 30 cm.
The heels are near the outer thighs, not under the seat. Also spread your knees approximately 30 cm and place your hands on them.
Movement: Rotate your torso and lower your left knee to the floor in front of your opposite foot. Use your palms to alternately guide your right thigh toward your left side and your left thigh toward your right side so as to press down on one side of your abdomen and apply pressure to your colon.
Look back to increase the twisting of your torso and apply pressure to your stomach.
For the previous exercises, it did not matter in which direction to start the movement. Here it is preferable to apply pressure first on the right side of the abdomen to push down on the ascending colon.
Perform the movement 4 times.
Purpose: to move water through the colon.
Episode duration: 15 seconds.
Yoga therapy for gut health. Part 1
The intestine is the part of the digestive system where the breakdown and absorption of nutrients occurs. The intestine is located in the abdominal cavity quite freely, attached by the mesentery to its posterior wall. It consists of the small and large intestines.
The small intestine is about 4-6 meters long. It occupies almost the entire lower floor of the abdominal cavity and partly the upper floor and the pelvic cavity, and includes the duodenum, jejunum and ileum. The pancreatic and bile ducts open into the lumen of the duodenum. Its mucosa is covered with microvilli, which provide parietal digestion and absorption of nutrients, and it is also penetrated by lymphatic follicles, which are part of the immune system. In the right iliac region there is the appendix, a vermiform appendix of the cecum, which is important as an organ of local hormonal control and an immune filter.
The large intestine includes the cecum, ascending, transverse and descending colon, sigmoid and rectum. The total length of the large intestine is about 2 meters.
There are no longer villi in its mucosa and the wall is thicker. In the colon, it forms peculiar protrusions - haustra, and the muscle layer forms cords; on the outer surface there are fatty processes. Function of the large intestine: absorption of water and minerals; synthesis of vitamins with the participation of microflora, B6, B12, K; formation and excretion of feces.
The functioning of the intestines is influenced by both the nature of food and the state of the nervous and endocrine systems. Thus, the duodenum can ulcerate due to prolonged stress, losing the balance of the protective functions of the mucosa, being exposed to the bacterium H. Pylori.
Another widespread disease associated with the peculiarities of nervous regulation is irritable bowel syndrome.
The health of the small intestine directly depends on the condition of the liver and pancreas. It is also characterized by various motor disorders. Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis are serious diseases based on immune-mediated inflammation, manifested by severe functional disorders. People who lead a sedentary lifestyle and whose diet is low in fiber are at high risk of developing intestinal diverticulosis. A person who regularly experiences abdominal pain, constipation, diarrhea and their combinations should think about the health of their intestines.
In general, to normalize the functioning of the intestines, not during the period of exacerbation of the disease, it is necessary to do all the poses of different classes, useful for problems with the lower back and hip joints, paying more attention to the position and work of the abdomen.
During the period of exacerbation of the disease, you can only perform Supta poses, ensuring that the body rests and relaxes in them. Use support under your back, under your hips. There should be no tension. You can also perform sitting poses with a slight tilt of the body back onto the support, stretching and releasing the front surface of the body. Gradually, persistently, but without tension, open your pelvis.
1. SUPTA BADDHA KONASANA
It is useful to start the practice with Supta poses to relax the pelvis and internal organs of the abdomen. During an exacerbation, it is better to perform these poses classically, placing a bolster under your back, lifting your chest and head, leaving your pelvis and legs on the floor, with support under your hips. In this case, the intestines relax and are at rest.
If the period of exacerbation is behind you, then you can increase the impact of the pose and perform it by lifting your pelvis and legs onto the bolster. The opening, expansion and stretching of the pelvis occurs more intensely here.
Sit on the front edge of the roller, lean back, lay your back on the roller, push your feet off the floor and move towards your head, gradually moving off the edge of the roller.
The shoulders and chest roll from the roller to the floor. Place foam under the basin and a brick under the feet so that they do not sink into the soft cushion. When the feet are raised above the tailbone, the anus lengthens, this is useful for hemorrhoids. The abdomen sinks into the pelvic area, becomes like a depression, it is relaxed, expanded, softened, this is useful for irritable bowel syndrome and chronic gastroenterological problems. Use straps on the hips and shins so that you do not have to force yourself to hold the legs of Baddha Konasana and you can relax. Release your arms and shoulders to the floor, relax your face, eyes, tongue. Stay in this position for 3-5 minutes, breathe evenly.
Supta Virasana in the same way.
, but this option is only suitable for experienced practitioners.
2. SUPTA PADANGUSHTASANA
This pose is very useful for opening the pelvis without tension in the legs. It can be performed even during an exacerbation, but it is imperative to select an option for performing the pose with support so that the stomach remains soft, relaxed and the pelvis opens from the inside.
A more intense effect on the abdominal organs occurs in the variant when the leg moved to the side is on the floor, and the support from blankets is located under the back and the leg is extended straight. Then there is a slight turn of the abdomen from the leg, which is extended to the side, releasing, opening and toning the abdomen occurs gently but effectively.
To perform the pose, fold blankets lengthwise into a stack, lie on your side with your back touching the edge of the blankets, press the outer edge of your outstretched leg to the floor, place a belt over your foot and hold it with your hand. Slide the femoral head of that leg into the joint. Turn away from the floor and place your back, head and other leg on the blankets. Rotate the thigh of this leg inward, pressing the inner edge of the thigh against the blanket. Turn your stomach from your foot on the floor to your foot on the support. Perform the pose for one minute, then switch sides.
3. TADASANA
Standing poses can be performed if at the moment you do not have an exacerbation of the disease, the disease is not in the active phase. Standing poses are useful for the proper functioning of the intestines, if there are minor disturbances in the functioning, constipation, if you lead a sedentary lifestyle, for the prevention of diseases. They tone the intestines.
First do Tadasana. To properly align your legs and align your pelvis, it is helpful to use a brick between your thighs. Place a brick between your inner thighs vertically. Most often, the top edge of the brick is inclined forward in relation to the bottom and is more visible from the front than from the back. This indicates the direction of energy in the legs. The energy of the legs moves forward and down, the inner groins are pushed forward and the front hips rotate outward. This disrupts the flow of apana energy. Point your front hips toward the brick. Push the top of the brick back more than the bottom. Extend the backs of your thighs away from each other. Align the position of the brick so that it is perpendicular to the floor. Without disturbing this, direct the muscles of the buttocks down and move them forward, straightening the front groins. Lift your lower abdomen up towards your navel, point the sides of your waist back so that your lower back does not sag.
The brick between the thighs provides space in the pelvic floor and lower abdomen, and the straps on the hips help to hold the brick without straining the leg muscles, then the internal organs of the abdomen relax and rise up along with the movement of the spine and chest. The flow of apana energy is normalized. Perform the pose for 1 minute, then relax.
4. UTTHITA HASTA PADASANA
From Tadasana, jump your legs about 1 m 20 cm apart and again adjust the position of your legs and pelvis. This is important for proper abdominal function in the subsequent pose.
Turn the inner groins back, expand the backs of the thighs from the inner parts to the outer parts, then the pelvic floor will expand, there will be freedom in the lower body. Don't let your tailbone protrude back or your lower back sag. To do this, lower the buttock muscles down from the lower back, point the middle of the buttocks forward, lift the lower abdomen, expand the navel area to the sides and move the sides of the waist back. Align your legs and pelvis in one plane.
Press the outer parts of your feet to the floor, draw in your outer ankles and outer thighs, and bring the heads of your femurs inside your joints. As you move your tailbone inward, lift your spine to create lift for the internal abdominal organs. Raise the arches of your feet; if they fall to the floor, the internal organs of the abdomen fall down. Lift your chest from your stomach, expanding it with your hands, this creates even more space for the internal organs and creates an impulse for their lifting. Then turn your left foot and entire right leg to the right and enter Utthita Trikonasana.
5. UTTHITA TRIKONASANA
The work of the muscles and bone structure in Utthita Trikonasana is similar to the work for the lower back and hip joints, while maintaining their work, direct more of your attention to the movement of the abdomen. Draw the outer thigh of your front leg in, turn your stomach from the floor to the ceiling, push the front thigh of your back leg back, direct your stomach back towards the spine. Press the outer edge of your back heel to the floor, pull in your tailbone and extend your spine along with the internal organs of your abdomen towards your head. Expand your chest with your hands, pull the chest away from the pelvis, increasing the space between the chest and pelvis. Perform the pose for 30 seconds, then rise and repeat the pose on the other side.
6. HALF-UTTANASANA
Stretching the spine parallel to the floor gives more freedom and stretch to the internal organs of the abdomen and is more beneficial for problematic intestines than performing a full downward bending pose. To have more space in your lower abdomen, spread your legs wider. Use a strap on the feet and sacrum to draw in the sacrum and create movement of the spine and internal organs from the very base, from the pelvic floor.
Make a large loop of the belt, bend your knees, place your heels on the belt and place the loop of the belt on the edge of your sacrum. You can place a rolled piece of mat on the sacrum to enhance the effect. Tighten the belt a little. Place your palms on the bricks.
Straighten your knees, pushing your front hips back, lengthening your spine forward. At the same time, the stomach is directed towards the spine and gently stretches. Stay in this pose for 1 minute, then release the strap and rise up.
7. ADHO MUKHA SVANASANA
To normalize the functioning of the intestines, it is better to perform this pose on high ropes in order to achieve the effect of moving the abdomen towards the spine without compression or tension. This abdominal position is beneficial for irritable bowel syndrome. The anus is directed upward and the rectum lengthens without tension, useful for hemorrhoids.
Spread your feet wider and push your heels into the wall, pushing your front hips back and up to create more space in your lower abdomen. Point the sacrum inward and toward the ribs, extending the lower part of the spine toward the head. By lifting your heels onto the wall, you can further release your spine and sides of your torso down. Extend your arms forward, keep your head between your shoulders. Stay in the pose for 1-2 minutes, breathe normally.
Read the continuation in the second part.
Model: Svetlana Filatkina, holder of the Junior 1 certificate, teaches in the Iyengar yoga studio under the direction of Olga Ilyinskaya, teaches general level classes, for older people, and assists in a therapeutic class.
Filming took place in the Iyengar yoga studio under the direction of Olga Ilyinskaya
Author
Olga Ilyinskaya
Dhanurasana - bow pose
Therapeutic effect: Affects the endocrine glands - adrenal glands, thyroid gland, parathyroid and gonads. The asana has a healing effect on the spine, chest, lungs, joints, abdominal cavity, intestines, brain and spinal cord. Activates digestion, helps treat gastritis, reduces fat deposits, relieves lower back pain, strengthens hip joints. Relieves constipation. In women it corrects menstrual irregularities; in men it increases potency and helps treat urinary tract diseases. In children with delayed development, it increases brain activity.
Contraindications: high blood pressure, heart disease, stomach and intestinal ulcers in the acute stage, pregnancy.
Cardio (aerobic) exercise
You can choose your favorite form of aerobic exercise: running, swimming, cycling or dancing. Cardio training improves breathing, increases heart rate and stimulates bowel function. Even if you don't feel up to a full workout, a simple 30-minute walk will do wonders for your digestive system. Cardio exercise has the added bonus of being one of the best ways to relieve stress, which is one of the risk factors for chronic constipation.
How does yoga help with stomach health problems?
It is believed that Ayurveda and yoga are related sciences. When followed together, it can lead to the greatest positive impact on your health. According to Ayurveda, all our health problems are due to an imbalance between the three elements or doshas. When these three Doshas, i.e. Vata, Pitta and Kapha, are in balance, you are completely healthy. But an imbalance or excess of any of them can cause many health problems.
Stomach problems arise due to indigestion. And Ayurveda believes that this is due to an imbalance in Vatta dosha (air element). Vatta dosha regulates the functioning of all digestive organs. Our soothing Vatta helps get rid of stomach problems. Yoga comes to our aid.
All types of Yoga are aimed at correcting these three doshas. There are Yoga asanas that calm our Vatta dosha and cure our stomach problems. These yoga asanas benefit us by integrating proper breathing techniques that affect your gastrointestinal organs.
