Hi and welcome to the latest edition of our guide to help you with ideas to get fit and healthy.

Written by Pamilla Sidhu

Yoga is a series of exercises which helps improve strength and flexibility, as well as balance within the body. Stereotypically, you may think yoga requires immense bendiness, but anyone can practice yoga as long as they go at the right pace to avoid injury. There are specific poses each with the ability to enhance yourself physically and mentally.

Yoga: a cheap and fun way to keep fit
Celebs practice yoga to keep fit and healthy, from Russell Brand to Madonna. However it is not just another celebrity keep fit gimmick. It has been practiced for thousands of years and originated from India. This ancient exercise helps fitness, stress and long term health and well-being. The meditation is said to help relaxation and tension, showing potential emotive benefits as well as physical. So give it a try, it’s perfect to help beat exam stress.

The yoga poses develop the flexibility between muscles and tendons, as well as strength, which means it can help decrease the chance of injury when playing other sports. The poses are based on physical ability; so some poses should not be done if you are pregnant or suffer from chronic back pain. Therefore if you are serious about yoga, taking classes at a leisure centre is sensible. For now, here are some warm ups and simple practice poses.

To get started, choose a quiet clear space to do yoga. You may decide to use some props such as a yoga mat, subtle background music and candles to set the scene, and wear loose clothing to do the poses comfortably.

Warm-up

It is important to stretch and warm up before exercising. Warming up prepares the body for exercise by easing the pace and the stress on muscles. A simple warm-up routine starts with a pulse raiser like jogging for five minutes. This is followed by stretches. You should spend about 5-10 minutes warming up to ensure you do not injure yourself when exercising.

The yoga exercise for eyes helps strengthen and improve eye muscles. This can be done by looking up, down, left, right, and then circle clockwise and anti-clockwise.

Warming up the neck helps relieve tension and stress.   Do simple warm-up motions like looking up and holding the position for 10 seconds, then down for ten seconds etc. This is followed by moving your head clockwise and anti-clockwise. Moving onto the shoulders, move them up and down, keep relaxed and repeat slowly a few times.

Warning: you should stop exercising if you feel pain or discomfort.

1. Easy Pose

This classic yoga pose promotes relaxation and a position for mediation. It is said to help keep the spine straight. It promotes inner calm, opens the hips and relieves tiredness. As the name suggests, this pose is very easy to do.

Sit with your legs crossed whilst keeping your back straight. Cross your legs, placing your feet below your knees. Clasp your hands around your knees. Breathe deeply through your nose. Stay in this position for around 20-30 breaths.

2. Child’s Pose

Performing the child pose stretches the hips, thighs and ankles gently. It also helps relieve stress and fatigue, and calms the brain.

Sit on your legs then rest your forehead on the floor. Separate your knees so they align with the width of your hips. Stretch your arms forward in the direction of your head and rest them on the floor, palms down. Take slow deep breaths. Stay in this position for 3-12 breaths. To come up, inhale slowly as you rise into a seated position.

3. Cobra

Lie flat on your stomach with your legs together. Your arms should be underneath your shoulders with your palms facing down. Breathe in and lift your head and chest off the floor without using your arms, hold for a few seconds. Now use your arms to lift yourself. Arms stretched, don’t tense your shoulders, keep them relaxed. Then exhale and slowly bring yourself back to the ground.

This exercise may cause the lower back to feel a little painful and uncomfortable, this is normal and will pass away as the stiffness decreases. This exercise is highly recommended for people with a stiff lower back or pain in the lower back.

4. Corpse Pose

A finishing yoga pose. The corpse pose may look simple, but this requires a lot of concentration. This exercise, if done correctly, can stimulate blood circulation and can lessen or relieve fatigue, nervousness, asthma, constipation, diabetes, indigestion and insomnia. It can also improve your mental concentration.

Rotate your legs in and out, and then let them fall gently out to the sides. Let your arms fall alongside your body, slightly separated from the body, palms facing upwards. Rotate the spine by turning your head from side to side to centre it. Then start stretching yourself out, as though someone is pulling your head away from your feet, your shoulders down and away from your neck, your legs down and away from your pelvis.

Breathe deeply and slowly. Hold the pose for 5-10 minutes.
Make your mind still and concentrate on your breathing.