Whether it's yoga, athletics, or skiing, the body should always be prepared with the right exercises before any activity. It's a common misconception, however, that warming up only consists of stretching exercises. It's much more than that. The exercises activate your body and bring it up to operating temperature.
In our article, we explain why you should always allow enough time to warm up from your back to your legs before yoga. We've also prepared three popular yoga exercises for you to warm up with.
Warming up before yoga: Your body will thank you
When you think of preparation before exercise, images of athletes doing vigorous stretches often come to mind. However, this type of physical preparation is now outdated. Today, we know that warming up in yoga serves, among other things, the purpose of being able to stretch afterwards without risk of injury. Only a warmed-up muscle is supple and ready for intensive stretching.
If you're planning an intensive yoga session, you should allow enough time for warm-up exercises to prepare for the asanas. Light stretching is allowed during the warm-up, but be careful not to push your body too hard too quickly. After all, a racehorse wouldn't be sent into the starting gate without the necessary preparation.
Why you should always warm up with the right yoga exercises:
- Body is prepared for the yoga session
- Risk of injury is minimized through the exercises
- the mind is calmed and concentration is promoted
- You become more aware of your breathing
- the body temperature increases and blood circulation to the muscles is promoted
How should I warm up for yoga?
The warm-up exercises vary depending on the type and intensity of your yoga session. The more intense the session, the more you need to pay attention to preparing your muscles. If you practice Yin Yoga, for example, the warm-up phase will be different than for a sweaty hot yoga class. A popular warm-up exercise in yoga classes is the sun salutation . This sequence of movements engages all parts of the body. The spine, stomach, back , and legs are optimally prepared for your yoga session with appropriate exercises. Your head should also be considered during the warm-up. Short nodding and shaking movements of the head from side to side activate the neck and throat muscles.
3 popular yoga exercises to warm up
But enough with the theory. We've prepared three popular and well-known yoga warm-up exercises for you:
Yoga exercise cat-cow
Duration: 2 minutes
For this yoga exercise, first assume a quadruped position. This posture is correct when your hands are under your shoulders and your knees are under your hips. Breathe out slowly. As you inhale, arch your back. Your sternum should be pointing upward, your shoulder blades pulled together, and your gaze should be straight ahead. Now exhale slowly and form a rounded back. Pull your chin toward your sternum and spread your shoulder blades apart.
Yoga exercise pelvic lift
Duration: 3 minutes
For this exercise, lie on your back. Your stomach is completely relaxed. Now place your legs upright. Your feet should be flat on your mat next to your bottom. If possible, grasp your ankles. As you inhale, push your pelvis up high. If you have lower back problems, approach this exercise carefully and lift your pelvis only slightly. As you exhale, lower your pelvis again.
Yoga exercise standing forward bend
Duration: 2-3 minutes
Place your feet hip-width apart on your yoga mat . Your knees should be straight. If this is uncomfortable, bend them slightly. Now bend forward, let your upper body hang, and place your hands on your feet. If you like, you can place your hands on your elbows. Now move your head once, nodding and once shaking. As you do this, breathe out forcefully through closed lips so that it sounds like a horse snorting. If possible, place your hands firmly on the yoga mat next to your feet with your next exhalation. Breathe in and out deeply at least 5 times. On your next inhalation, mindfully straighten your spine and stand relaxed on your feet.
How do you warm up before yoga? What are your favorite yoga exercises to get your body moving? We'd love to hear your comments!
