Stay fit in five

Do you wake up every day like a zombie trying hard to put the next step? Do you feel tired within a few hours after waking up?

If so, the problem lies not anywhere else, but on how you start your day. As they say, well begun is half done! It is important to start the day well to set you up for the rest of the day.

Your body is also a machine, which generally has a starting problem after a prolonged period of rest. Therefore, it is important to start your day in the smoothest possible way to avoid any hiccups during the day’s journey.

If you wake up in a way that stimulates the body, you’re more likely to feel energetic all along the day. So what can you do to achieve it? Here are a few simple yoga techniques that you can do on the bed to kick start your day effectively.

Full Body Stretch (30 sec)
This is the most common and the default stretch we generally do just after waking up, which doesn’t need any conscious effort from our side. Unfortunately, in today’s life, we don’t even do this due to the fact that we directly pick up our mobiles and get immersed immediately. Eventually, we end up missing on this very basic and essential stretch.

If you want to stimulate the body muscles and loosen the stiff joints, this stretch is the best way to start it.

Apanasana (Reverse Child’s Pose) (1 min)

Once the full body stretch is completed, fold your legs forward and hold the knees close to your chest region with the help of your arms. It’s called the knee hugging posture.

If you can hug your knees fully with your elbows touching the knees, that’s even better. But yeah the general idea is to stretch inwards.

This asana helps to stabilise the pelvis and low back and also good for easing any lower back pain. You can do it one leg at a time also.

Bhujangasana (30 Sec)
If there’s one asana that I would suggest in any yoga session, it’s the one and only Bhujangasana.
This cobra pose has multiple benefits; specially it stretches muscles in the shoulders, chest and abdominal regions and helps in easing stiffness of the lower back.

This asana also firms and tones the buttocks. It also helps in strengthening the arms and shoulders and increasing the overall flexibility of the back region. For women, it helps to reduce menstrual irregularities and elevates mood.

Balasana (Child’s Pose) (30 sec)
After performing Bhujangasana, it’s important that a complimentary asana (a stretch in the opposite direction) needs to be performed. The simplest one that can be performed on the bed itself is Balasana.

This asana increases blood circulation and is in general useful in relieving stress and fatigue.

That’s 2 min 30 sec till now. For the next two-and-a-half minutes, you can just sit in Sukhasana and perform face and eye massage + neck rotations + pranayama.

Sukhasana
As the name suggests, this is a simple and an easy sitting posture. Sit with legs folded and spine erect. It strengthens your spine and helps to calm your mind.

You can relax and do nothing in this posture to help you build on the smooth start for the day

Sit in Sukhasana and perform the following actions for two-and-a-half minutes.

Face and eyes massage
Rub your palms together and massage your eyes and cheeks with Palms. This helps in stimulating facial muscles and is a good anti-ageing technique.

Neck and arm rotations
Your neck is generally stiff in the morning and by doing good neck rotations for just a minute; you can keep yourself from any neck related pains including serious ones such as cervical spondylitis. Rotate your neck for 1 miniute. Remember to do it slowly.

Pranayama
Slow and controlled breathing will calm any anxiety that can sometimes accompany you when you wake up. It could be due to a bad dream or due to an alarm. Also, to relax your body immediately after the above yoga poses, this breathing exercise is extremely beneficial.

This need not be any advanced Pranayama. Simple breathing using your abdomen and just observing your breath can be a good way to make you feel balanced just after waking up.

These five minute Yoga asanas every day just after waking up, will set you up for a good day. Combine this with regular yoga or any workout session and you will go a long way, health wise.

By: Anusha Kalyan
The writer is a yoga practitioner, instructor and therapist.