8 Yoga Poses for Plus-Sized Women
For most plus-sized women, doing yoga is certainly not a walk-in-the-park, as it demands lots of determination and hard work to achieve the desired results. Some yoga poses can prove to be an uphill task to carry out simply due to lack of flexibility, especially for beginners. To help you out, here are the best 8 yoga poses for plus-sized women you should try out. Read on!
1. Standing Forward Half Pose
Before carrying out any other yoga pose, this one should be your starting point. Apart from stretching out your hamstrings, this pose also effectively warms you up for any other exercise of the day. With that being said, start by standing on both your feet at hip-width before slowly bending forward from the hips (not the waist). Next, try to reach for the floor while keeping your back straight. However, simply use a yoga block if reaching the floor becomes difficult. With a bit of time and extra practice, you’ll find yourself to be a master of this pose. In fact, you won’t even need the yoga block anymore.
2. Mountain Pose
For any beginner who has balance worries, added support – probably from a wall, can always come in handy. In fact, mountain pose is popularly known among most yogis to be the best beginner wall
Start by standing with both your back and buttocks touching the wall. Just in front of you, choose a single still point to focus on, and then gently ease your triceps and shoulders back against the wall. With your elbows bent (preferably 90 degrees) steadily lift your arms up and flat against the wall. Finally, try squeezing your yoga block between your legs.
3. Downward Dog
It’s impossible to talk of any yoga routine without mentioning
Begin by folding yourself forward and placing both hands on the ground. After this, steadily jump your feet back while ensuring your hips are in the air. Doing this should immediately make an upside down V-shape. Proceed to try and shift most of the weight back into your heals in order to reduce any wrist discomfort. This will also straighten both your arms and legs, which is the total body stretch we are looking for.
For additional hamstring and calve stretch, alternate lifting both heals off the ground. You can carry out this pose for at least a minute while focusing on your breathing.
4. Cobra Pose
This is simply one of the best exercises you can do to stretch your back and shoulders. To begin with, lie down flat facing the floor on your belly, with both your legs stretched out. Proceed to gently press up your upper back and shoulders using your hands to ensure that both your legs and hips remain on the ground. While breathing throughout, slowly go up and down. Keep in mind that you have to breathe inward while going up and outward while going down.
5. Tree Pose
For something more challenging and much harder, tree pose is definitely a great one. However, tree pose will immensely improve your overall body balance. Quickly moving forward, begin by putting your hands together (at your heart) and your feet should be shoulder-width apart. Although you can carry out this pose with your arms stretched out up in the air, keeping them at your heart will greatly help you maintain balance.
Bend one of your knees, and using your hand, prop up one of your foot on the other standing leg. Always lean against something stable until you can find your own balance. You can now proceed to lift your hands straight up to the sky for an extra challenge. For even more challenging balance, try closing your eyes. Always remember to tighten your core muscles and keep your back straight, as this will greatly help you maintain stability.
6. Cat/Cow Pose
Commonly paired together, this great combination effectively improves your spine’s flexibility, while at the same time properly stretching your torso. Begin by standing on both your hands and knees. Make sure your hands and wrists are directly under the shoulders, whereas the knees are directly under the hips.
While inhaling drop your stomach downwards towards the mat, while slowly lifting both your neck and chin to ensure you’re gazing at the ceiling. Be careful however to avoid straining your neck. When exhaling, try pulling your belly button towards the spine, while at the same time rounding your back also to the ceiling direction. Also, look downward without bringing the chin to the chest.
7. Chair Neck Stretch
When it comes to stretching out both your back muscles and spine, as well as working out your shoulders and neck, nothing comes close to neck stretches. In fact, you can even do it while sitting on a hard-backed chair.
That said, find a chair to sit on, and bend both your right ear and right shoulder towards each other. As you lean, proceed to stretch your right arm downwards to the ground, and hold it there for a few seconds. At a regular pace, try to breathe deeply and then repeat the same in the left side while moving your chin toward your chest.
8. Camel Pose
For stretching out both your back and chest as well as eliminating back pain, this pose is simply magical. Start on your knees, with both your legs hip-width apart. Proceed to bend backward slightly and using your right hand, grab your ankle. After this, comfortably arch your back because the more you do this, the more you stretch your chest. Hold this pose and take a few breaths before returning to your starting position. You can repeat this procedure for a few more times.
Final Word
You see! Yoga can be pretty simple and straightforward, isn’t it? Implementing these 8 plus-size poses in your daily/weekly yoga routine is not only