Beneficial for the health of the back and legs. Plow pose reduces back pain and can help you sleep.
As part of the first sequence of Ashtanga Vinyasa yoga, Halasana is entered from Salamba Sarvangasana. In this article we will look at entering from a prone position.
Execution technique
Step 1:
Lie on the floor with your back down. Straighten your back, pull your shoulder blades together and down. Remove the lumbar arch.
Step 2:
As you inhale, lift both legs above your body at a 90-degree angle. Keep your legs straight, with your heels actively reaching towards the ceiling. Make sure your shoulders are pulled away from your neck and continue to pull your shoulder blades together.
Step 3:
With your next inhalation, lift your pelvis and place your legs behind your head. If necessary, support your pelvis/lower back with your hands for balance. Exhale and bring your legs further behind your head, performing a fold in hip joints.
Slowly lower your toes to the floor behind your head. If possible, keep your torso perpendicular to the floor with your legs fully extended.
Step 4:
Keeping your toes flat on the floor, lift your hips and tailbone toward the ceiling. Imagine that the body is suspended from the hip joints.
The throat should be soft, the gaze should be directed to the navel.
Step 5:
You can continue to press your hands into your lower back, pushing your back toward the ceiling. Alternatively, remove your arms from your back and extend them behind you on the floor, palms down, opposite your legs. Take a couple of breathing cycles.
Clasp your palms and press firmly across the entire surface of your arms, acting like a lever as you lift your hips toward the ceiling.
Step 6:
Stay in the pose for 1 to 3 minutes. Halasana is usually practiced after Salamba Sarvangasana for 1 to 5 minutes.
Exit from the pose
As you inhale, return your hands to your lower back. As you exhale, begin to lower your legs, keeping them close to your body; unfold your spine along the mat, lowering your legs to their original position.
Adjustment of asanas / control points
actively pull your shoulder blades together and pull them towards your lower back, move your shoulders away from your ears to free the lower cervical vertebrae and upper thoracic vertebrae;
the task is to keep the entire body weight on the shoulders, and not on the neck;
the chin is slightly tucked towards the neck, the head is relaxed;
To stretch your spine further, move your legs away from your head and do not bend your knees.
Benefit
calms the mind;
reduces stress and fatigue;
stimulates the abdominal organs and the thyroid gland;
stretches the shoulders and spine;
has a beneficial effect on infertility, insomnia, and sinusitis;
cures osteochondrosis;
Helps eliminate fat deposits in the thighs and abdomen.
Contraindications
menstruation;
neck and back injuries;
asthma and high blood pressure;
pregnancy, starting from the 2nd trimester.
Yoga preparatory exercises
Advanced Practice
As you enter the asana, firmly pull your shoulder blades together and rise to the tops of your shoulders. Push firmly onto your shoulders, while lifting your pelvis and body and further moving your legs behind your head and your arms in the opposite direction.
There are at least 8 popular exercises, the regular performance of which almost always leads to injury or exacerbation of chronic diseases. Professionals classify such exercises as category X. In the sense of “X”, that is, exercises the implementation of which is associated with extreme health risks. This does not mean that they cannot be used at all. Use it if you want. But remember what you're risking. And, of course, be extremely careful.
Barrier step
Execution: sitting on the floor, straighten one leg, turning the toe up. Bend the other leg at the knee and move it to the side, turning the toe away from you. Spreading your legs as wide as possible, bend towards your straight leg, holding your foot with both hands.
Why did you come up with: for stretching muscles back surface straight leg
What is dangerous: according to the book “The Science of Flexibility” by D. Alter, this exercise“leads to excessive stress on the knee joint bent leg, hyperextension of the medial cruciate ligament, slipping of the patella and compression of the posterior part of the lateral meniscus." In short: it can seriously injure the knee of a bent leg.
How to secure: The easiest way is to simply straighten the leg bent at the knee or tuck it under you.
Bend forward to straight legs
Execution: placing your feet together and straightening your legs, bend forward, trying to touch your knees with your chest, and your shins with your forehead.
Why did you come up with: for stretching the erector spinae and hamstring muscles.
What is dangerous: Leaning forward is primarily dangerous due to loss of balance. In conditions gym A fall from this position can result in a serious head injury and other unpleasant injuries. In addition, some experts consider bending to be harmful to intervertebral discs and ligaments. lumbar region spine.
How to secure: place your feet not together, but shoulder-width apart, thereby increasing the stability of the starting position. Or do the same bends while sitting, completely avoiding a possible fall.
Frog
Execution: kneeling, spread your legs as wide as possible and try to sit with your pelvis on the floor. The toes of both feet are turned outward, the legs are bent at the knees as much as possible.
Why did you come up with: to stretch the hip adductors and improve hip mobility
What is dangerous: As with the hurdle step, excessive stress on the knees can lead to injury, but now to both legs. In addition, this exercise can seriously damage the hip joints.
How to secure: It's better not to do it at all. As a last resort, try to sit down so that when viewed from above, both of your legs from the buttocks to the knee form a perfectly straight line - you cannot tilt your pelvis back.
Bent-overs with a barbell while standing
Execution: placing the barbell on top part trapezius and placing your feet hip-width apart, you should bend forward until your body is almost horizontal.
Why did you come up with: to strengthen the erector spinae and hamstring muscles
What is dangerous: With the slightest loss of control over the lumbar spine, herniated discs are possible.
How to secure: if you are confident in your own technical readiness, bending over with a barbell can be done, but for short periods - no more than 2-3 weeks. If not, then it is better to replace them with Romanian deadlifts and hyperextensions.
Cross twine
Execution: placing your feet twice as wide as your shoulders, you need to rest your hands on the floor, and then, without bending your knees, spread your feet to the sides so that you ultimately lie on the floor with your hips.
Why did you come up with: for stretching the adductor muscles of the thigh and impressing romantically minded others
What is dangerous: The splits are one of the most useless exercises in fitness. Not only are only a few able to perform it correctly, but excessive efforts can lead to injuries to the menisci and medial cruciate ligament. The latter most often occurs during involuntary bending of the knees when trying to go as low as possible.
How to secure: To reduce the load on your knees, it is best to stretch not both legs at once, but only one leg. To do this, stand on your knee, moving your other leg to the side, and lower yourself without tilting your pelvis back. To prevent your straight leg from inadvertently bending, turn your foot towards you and press it to the floor - the tension in the lower leg muscles further stabilizes the knee joint. Stay in this position for 15–30 seconds, then change legs.
Bent-over body rotations
Execution: put the barbell on your back, place your feet hip-width apart, bend at the waist and bend over. Now, without straightening, turn from side to side, rotating the bar and body.
Why did you come up with: in ancient bodybuilding times, back in 1973, this exercise was used to train the oblique abdominal muscles.
What is dangerous: even ordinary rotations in the lumbar region threaten serious injuries to the soft tissues surrounding the spine and intervertebral discs. Leaning forward increases the risk several times. Suffice it to recall that lumbago in the lower back most often occurs in this position.
How to secure: turns of the body in an inclination, if they affect anything, are more likely to affect the thoracic spine. Instead of dangerous work with the bar, it is best to lie on your side, bend your knees and try, twisting at the shoulder blades (but not the lower back!), to touch the floor behind you with your hand. This exercise is completely safe and greatly increases mobility. thoracic spine.
Plow
Execution: lying on your back - arms along the body - you need to raise your legs and then lower them behind your head, touching your feet to the floor. The knees should be kept straight.
Why did you come up with: for stretching the muscles of the thoracic, cervical and lumbar spine
What is dangerous:"plow" squeezes hard internal organs, which, against the background of difficulty breathing, can cause uncontrollable rise blood pressure and loss of consciousness. In addition, if this asana is not performed correctly, the impact on the neck far exceeds all permissible limits. In the long term, this can lead to calcification of the cervical spine.
How to secure: stretching the erector spinal muscles - from the neck to the lower back - is much easier and safer while sitting. Sit on your knees, clasp your hands behind the back of your head and, rounding your back, press your chin to your chest. Hold for 15–30 seconds.
Bench press
Execution: stand straight with the barbell on your shoulders (hold it wide grip). The feet are slightly wider than the hips, the back is straight, the legs are slightly bent at the knees. Helping yourself with your legs, push the barbell above your head and then lower it back behind your head to the level of the back of your head or below. If it works, repeat.
Why did you come up with: this is an exercise that came out of weightlifting (they practice it there final part snatch), in commercial fitness clubs they are used to train the deltoid muscles.
What is dangerous: excessive supination humerus with simultaneous abduction may result in serious injury to the shoulder joints and/or spine. The latter is most likely in the case when insufficient mobility of the shoulder joints is compensated by excessive deflection in the lumbar or thoracic regions.
How to secure: If you want to bench press while standing, press from your chest, not from behind your head. So the shoulder joints are in a safe position, and the range of motion of the humerus is much greater, which increases the load on the target deltoid muscles.
An exercise that requires the performer to have the proper level of flexibility. In addition to strengthening your abdominal muscles, it helps correct your posture and make your back more mobile. It is recommended to perform only on a gymnastic mat (blanket, bedspread).
Position 1
Lie on your back with your legs straight. Hands should lie along the body, palms down.
Position 2
With a sharp movement, lift your pelvis off the floor, lift your straight legs and lower them behind your head, trying to touch the floor with your toes. At the moment of execution, the abs should be as tense as possible, and the main force should fall on it, so if possible, do not lean on your hands.
Position 3
After holding for a second in the previous position, return to the starting position. This must be done in one sharp movement, but so that the legs do not touch the floor and are always suspended.
Don’t be afraid to take a high tempo, just don’t lower your feet to the floor at the end point and try to throw them as far behind your head as possible.
1. Plow Pose: Lie on your back. Raise your legs up and throw them behind your head. Keep your legs straight, heels together, and point your toes toward the floor. Extend both arms towards your toes. Hold this pose for 5 minutes. Then slowly lower your spine back to the floor, vertebra by vertebra. Slowly place your feet on the floor and your arms along your torso.
2. Camel Pose: Sit on your heels. Grab your heels with your hands and lift your pelvis up and forward, throw back your head, pull your pelvis forward. Stay in this position for 3 minutes with deep, slow breathing. Then gently lower your pelvis back onto your heels. This exercise well regulates the activity of the reproductive organs.
3. Bow Pose: Lie on your stomach. Grab your ankles with your hands. Arch up until your spine becomes like a bow. Raise your hips and head as high as possible. Hold the pose with deep, slow breathing.
4. Shoulderstand: From a supine position, lift your legs 90°, then lift your torso and support your lower back with your hands, resting on your elbows. Keep your torso perpendicular to the floor and distribute your body weight over your neck and shoulders. The chin rests on the chest. Deep slow breathing. This exercise creates pressure on all organs and stimulates the thyroid gland.
Working muscles
Main working muscles:
- Spinal flexor muscles: rectus abdominis, external oblique, internal oblique.
- Muscles that flex the leg at the hip joint: iliopsoas, rectus femoris, sartorius, tensor fascia lata thighs, pectineus muscle.
Accessory muscles:
- Abdominal muscles that stabilize the spine: transverse muscle belly.
- Muscles that extend the leg at the hip joint: large gluteal muscle, posterior thigh muscle group.
- Hip abductors: gluteus medius, gluteus minimus.
- Adductor muscles of the thigh: adductor longus, adductor brevis, adductor magnus, gracilis.
- Muscles that extend the leg knee joint: quadriceps femoris muscle.
- Muscles that perform plantar flexion of the foot in ankle joint: calf muscle, soleus muscle.
- Muscles that extend the arm shoulder joint: latissimus muscle back, teres major muscle, posterior deltoid muscle.
Starting position when rolling with straight legs. Lie on your back, stretch your arms along your torso, palms down. Raise your straightened legs at an angle of about 60 degrees to the floor, or even higher if this helps you better maintain a stable pelvic position.
Inhale. Raise your legs vertically (flexion at the hip joint at an angle of 90 degrees).
Exhalation. Bend your spine, lift your pelvis off the mat and drive it toward your shoulders as your legs pass overhead.
Inhale. Lower your legs to the floor as shown in the figure, if you have flexibility, and then spread them shoulder-width apart.
Exhalation. Slowly roll on your back and lower your pelvis onto the mat. After this, continue lowering your legs to the starting position.
Repeat the rolls with straight legs again, but start with your legs apart, and in the 4th phase, when your legs are behind your head, bring them together.
Repeat the exercise 6 times, of which the legs in the 1st phase are brought together 3 times and spread 3 times.
Draw in your stomach as you roll with straight legs to stabilize your pelvis and prevent excessive arching in your lower back as the hip flexors support your legs and lift them upright in phases 1 and 2.
Use your abdominal muscles to posteriorly tilt your pelvis and flex your spine as you begin Phase 3. Start from the lower sections and create a maximum bend in the lower back during the backward roll phase. People with flexible spines may need to simultaneously contract the spinal erector muscles slightly to achieve an even curve and prevent excessive flexion in the middle and lower spine.
Use your hip flexors to lift your legs off the mat in Phase 3 and control their lowering in Phase 4 of the straight leg rolls. At the same time, the abductor muscles of the thigh slightly spread the legs.
Draw your legs closer to your body and ensure that the lumbar spine flexion is maintained as long as possible in phase 5, when the abdominal muscles control the gradual lowering of the torso to the mat. Once it's down, switch the action of your abdominal muscles to maintain stability in your pelvis and lower back, while your hip flexors control the lowering of your legs and your hip adductors bring them together.
During the entire rolling exercise, the legs should be straightened and the toes should be pulled back due to the action of the muscles that extend the leg at the knee joint and perform plantar flexion of the foot. You should aim to reach as far as possible with your legs, no matter which direction they point.
Lifting your pelvis off the floor in the 3rd phase, press your hands firmly onto the mat so that the muscles that extend the arm at the shoulder joint also help lift the torso. In the 5th phase, hands in the same position also play important role, but the muscles in this case work eccentrically.
Mental image. In the ascending phase of the movement, imagine that you are grasping a large gymnastic ball, and when the pelvis begins to descend, mentally move it towards the legs.
Notes
Rolls with straight legs can be thought of as the mirror opposite of a twist with a forward bend. The only difference is that in this case you pull your pelvis towards chest, and not vice versa. It is important to start the movement from the pelvis in order to consistently, vertebra by vertebra, bend the spine in the lumbar region. The abdominal muscles tilt the pelvis backward. This skill will be useful to you later in order to get rid of the tendency to tilt your pelvis forward when outstretched legs create a large moment of force, for example in exercises such as The 100 and Die Hard. Posterior pelvic tilt activates more muscle fibers in the lower part of the abdominal muscles and thereby contributes to the stability of the power center. In addition, rolling with straight legs provides good dynamic stretching. posterior group thigh muscles and spinal erector muscles.
Despite the fact that the benefits of this exercise, rolling with straight legs, are undeniable, it involves forced flexion of the spine in the thoracic and cervical regions under the influence of the gravity of the body, which is not always acceptable and permissible for some people. Perform this exercise only if you do not feel discomfort in your back and neck. Consult your doctor and, if necessary, abandon the exercise or make adjustments to it.
Modifications
In phases 3 and 4, bring your legs behind your head only until the weight of your body is on your shoulders and upper back, not your neck. This will reduce the load on the cervical vertebrae. If your hamstring muscles are not flexible enough, at first limit yourself to keeping your legs parallel to the floor in the upper phase. They don't have to touch the mat. If the muscles in this area are very tight, you can slightly bend your knees when they are above your head. If muscle tightness in the lower back or shoulders does not allow you to raise your pelvis to shoulder level, bend your elbows and place your palms on your lower back to create support for your torso.
Options
With your feet above your head, dorsiflex your foot at the ankle to deepen the stretch in your hamstrings. When returning to starting position pull your socks back.
