Yoga for strengthening lower back — Konasana or angle pose

Konasana or the angle pose helps strengthen the spine.

By: Tania Tarafdar | | Updated: November 29, 2014 11:29 am

Yoga is a great way to improve your flexibility and strength. Konasana or the angle pose helps in strengthening the lower back and increasing the flexibility of the spine. This asana can be practised anytime during the day or night and is right for every age group. This is also a warm-up asana for more complicated asanas like baddha konasana and upavishtha konasana.

Stand straight with feet hip-width apart and place your arms alongside the body.
Breathe in and raise your left arm so that the fingers point towards the ceiling.
Breathe out and bend to the right. First bend from the spine then move your pelvis to the left and bend a bit more. While doing this, keep your left arm pointing upwards.
Turn your head to look up at the left palm and straighten your elbows.
Breathing in, straighten the body back.
Breathing out, bring your left arm down.
Now repeat the steps with your right arm.

Benefits

Konasana is a good posture to increase spine flexibility. Since in this asana the feet and toes are firmly placed on the ground, calf muscles also get toned. This asana helps in proper functioning of the excretory system helping in removing the waste matter that gets accumulated in the body.

Shoulders and wrists get strengthened in this asana. It also stimulates the abdominal organs potentially improving the health of ovaries, prostate gland, kidneys and bladder. This posture helps relieve lower back pain.

Precautions

Do not stretch yourself beyond your capacity especially if you are a beginner.
Individuals afflicted with cervical or lumbar spondylitis should not do this asana. This asana is also not advisable for those with hypertension.
You should also avoid doing this asana if you are pregnant.

Image source: Getty Images

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Published : September 16, 2014 3:18 pm | Updated:November 29, 2014 11:29 am

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