Yoga is the road to recovery post Covid
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June 21, 2021
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Yoga is the road to recovery post Covid
Covid-19 has had an impact on people's health and well-being all over the world, and post-covid care is just as important as prevention and treatment. Covid-19 infection primarily affects the human respiratory system. However, once the virus has been eradicated, it is necessary to work on regaining one's strength and health. The recovery process is said to be slow because the body is extremely exhausted. As a result, it is recommended that one eats well along with relevant exercises to restore immune system and nutrition levels.
Yoga is an excellent activity for improving respiratory health and immunity, both of which are important in the prevention and post-covid care of Covid-19.
Why Yoga?
Yoga is becoming more empirically supported as an adjunctive strategy for stress management and overall well-being. Yoga practitioners report lower levels of anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms. Yoga also increases self-esteem, compassion and self-awareness.
It helps you to :
- Increase your Lung Capacity
- Boost your immune system
- Maintain Energy levels
Practice breathing exercises
Breathing exercises that strengthen the diaphragm (think three-part yogic breathing or Ujjayi Pranayama) and stretching (asana or gentle movement coordinated with the breath) are important for recovery, according to researchers at the Loma Linda University School of Medicine in California. A series of breathing exercises are also recommended in their study, which was published in the journal Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (1).
Another review of post-acute COVID treatments, published in the journal BMJ (2), recommends "breath control" techniques similar to Ujjayi and pranayama practices that rely on breath retention to work through chronic coughing and breathlessness.
The best time to practice yoga
Yoga should ideally be practiced in the morning. This is because morning is the best time to inhale fresh and clean air due to the importance of breathing in yoga asanas. Yoga is always a great way to start the day as it is an energizing activity that will fuel your day with positivity and relaxation. Also, yoga should not be practiced immediately after eating. You should wait atleast three to four hours before beginning your yoga practice.
Asanas for the lungs post covid recovery
Sitting for a long period causes pain and aches in the body. Sitting in the same position causes shoulder stiffness and tension in the neck and back. Here are a few asanas you can do to gradually loosen your muscles and increase your mobility.
- Seated Spinal Twist/Parivrtta Sukhasan
- Fish Pose/Matsya Asana
- Anulom Vilom/Alternate nostril breathing
- Cobra Pose/Bhujangasana
- The Rock/Pawan Mukta Asana
We recommend you to refer videos of Yoga professionals available online to know the right way to practice the following asanas.
On this International Yoga Day, we appeal to everyone to make ‘Yoga’ a part of their daily routine for a healthy, happy and active life.
REFERENCES:
- https://journals.lww.com/ajpmr/Fulltext/2020/09000/Physical_Medicine_and_Rehabilitation_and_Pulmonary.1.aspx?MvBriefArticleId=43685
- https://www.bmj.com/content/370/bmj.m3026