Yoga exercises tend to have countless benefits that relieve tight muscles along with the active management of stress. Tight muscles can be the result of various factors such as poor posture, high-stress levels, poor lifestyle choices, and more.
Here are six of the best and most effective yoga exercises for tight muscles which will help in efficiently targeting the muscles throughout your body. Relieving extreme stress, releasing pressure in daily life, and developing a better connection between mind and body.
Best Yoga Exercises for Tight Muscles
1. Dolphin Pose or Ardha Pincha Mayurasana
Dolphin yoga exercise is one of the best yoga poses for tight muscles as it effectively stretches your arches, shoulders, calves, and hamstrings. It will help in strengthening the arms and legs along with relieving stress from the body.
How do I do it?
Assume the forearm plank position and interlock the fingers of both your hands. Start moving your feet towards your hands. Try to keep your elbows on the side of your head and not splay outwards. To increase the stretch of your hamstrings, make sure that your heels are on the ground. Hold the dolphin pose for a few breaths before releasing.
2. Reclining Cow Pose
Reclining cow pose is also highly beneficial for tight muscles as it helps in decompressing the lower back, relieving pressure from the lower back, stretching the upper legs, and opening up of hips. This yoga exercise will also help in stimulating the internal organs along with improving their functioning. Additionally, the reclining cow pose will help in enhancing the range of motion along with loosening hamstrings and glutes.
How do I do it?
Lie flat on the back with crossed knees and feet out at your sides. Hold your legs with alternate hands like with your left hand grasping the right foot. You can also grab the shins instead of the legs if you feel more comfortable. Now pull the heels towards the body and out to the side and then slightly upwards. Hold the reclining pose for a few breaths before releasing and swap the leg position and repeat.
3. Supine Pigeon Pose or Supta Kapotasana
Supine pigeon pose is a good yoga exercise for tight muscles as it will help in increasing the flexibility of the body, supporting the digestive process, and efficiently stretching your lower back and hips. Supine pigeon pose is also good for alleviating mental stress and worry along with leaving you feeling more energetic and refreshed.
How to do it?
Position yourself on your back while your knees are bent. Now raise your ankle and position it over the opposite knee. Now push the said knee towards your chest gently with your hands. Hold the supine pigeon position for a few breaths before releasing.
4. Legs Up The Wall
Legs up the wall are a great yoga exercise for tight muscles as it helps in deep relaxation of the body, stress relief, and pain reduction. This yoga exercise will help in healing the overall body by alleviating tiredness, relieving cramps, and helping with backaches.
How to do it?
Position yourself beside the open wall space while your hips are positioned as close to the base of the wall as possible. Slide your legs upwards to the wall and lie on the ground. Hold your legs up the wall yoga exercise for a few moments before releasing.
5. Extended Child Pose or Nikunjasana
Extended child pose will help in relieving the tight muscles as it will gently stretch your ankles, thighs, and hips simultaneously. This yoga exercise is simple and basic and can be easily done by beginners. Extended child pose will further provide deep relaxation to the body.
How to do it?
Assume the tabletop position. Now walk with both your hands in the front until your forehead touches the ground. Press your hands onto the floor with your spine neutral. Make sure that your hips are just over your knees. Hold this extended child pose for a few breaths.
6. Reclining Spinal Twist
Reclining spinal twists is among the dynamic yoga exercises for tight muscles as it entails several benefits. This yoga exercise will help in relieving the compression from the lower back along with alleviating pain from the joints, back, and neck.
How to do it?
Follow the steps of the reclining cow pose and then lower your legs to the ground. With your legs intertwined, twist your body towards one side. Now straighten both your hands to the side along with turning your head towards the opposite side. Relax for a few breaths in this pose before swapping sides and repeating the movement.
Bottom Line
The aforementioned yoga exercises are quite effective for tight muscles and can be easily included in the daily routine. These yoga exercises provide several other advantages such as toning the muscles, improving flexibility, enhancing posture, alleviating pain, releasing tension, and more.
Considering the advantages of these yoga exercises, you should definitely include them in their daily routine.These