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Good posture is something we should all take care about.
The reason is not only preventing back pain. It has been shown that it also effectively aids digestion, improves breathing, reduces stress, regulates hormones, benefits brain function and overall supports good health.
On the other hand, poor posture increases the risk of back pain, poor blood circulation and even causes tightening of the chest muscles, which restricts proper breathing.
Therefore you should do everything in your power to correct it. The reward will be the disappearance of pain and stiffness in the back, neck or shoulders.
Fortunately, all of this can be achieved with a single exercise mainly known from yoga.
Locust yoga pose
The exercise we introduce today is also called the locust pose or shalabhasana. It is an exercise with amazing effects that strengthens the muscles of the back and neck.
If you suffer from back pain, before you start performing this exercise, consult your doctor whether it is suitable for you.
Here is a video in English that shows in detail how to practice this exercise. If you don’t understand English, you will find a detailed description in Czech under the video.
How to perform the Locust pose
Follow these 9 steps for this exercise.
1. Place an exercise mat on the floor. If you don’t have one, you can also use a large towel.
2. Lie face down on the floor, face toward the ground, forehead touching the floor. Both legs are extended and straight, arms also aligned alongside the body, palms facing up.
3. The body weight should be evenly distributed between the legs on one side and the torso with the head and arms on the other. The center of gravity rests in the pelvis and lower abdomen.
4. Now, as you exhale, lift your head, arms, chest and legs as high as possible. The arms should be parallel to the floor.
5. If you have trouble lifting your arms, push your palms into the floor (as the locust does), lift the body and arms up fully when the legs, chest and head are raised.
6. If you have trouble lifting both legs at the same time, raise only one, hold it up for a few seconds, lower it and then raise the other leg. Alternate them this way.
7. Look straight ahead and take several inhales and exhales. If your neck is stiff, you can tilt your head slightly and look at the ground.
8. Hold this lifted position for several inhales and exhales. The whole exercise should last 10 to 60 seconds (depending on how long you can hold it).
9. Finally, lower yourself back to the floor, relax for a moment and then repeat the exercise.
Start practicing the exercise with one or two repetitions and gradually, as your back muscles strengthen, increase the number of repetitions to 5 to 10 per day.
Practice it daily.
