Effective yoga after childbirth - exercises for recovery at home

Everyone knows that our spine is the basis of our health, since the normal functioning of all organs of the human body depends on the condition of the spine.
Pain is a sign that it’s time to pay attention to the condition of your body. Very often we experience pain in the chest area. Pain can be in the front, behind and inside. This can be a nagging pain, sharp or stabbing pain, pain when inhaling or exhaling, inability to bend and straighten. All this speaks of tightness of the chest. These unpleasant sensations make us worry and take pills to numb the pain. Everything would be fine, but the pain returns and it is not always connected with our physical body.

Yoga Anatomy: Thoracic Spine

However, this does not mean that in asanas you do not need to monitor the correct position of the chest. A common problem that occurs in the thoracic region is poor posture (scoliosis or hyperkyphosis). Also, incorrect position of the thoracic region can lead to compression (squeezing) of the lower back. And correct execution of asanas will improve your posture and relieve back pain.

In this article we will look at the structure of the thoracic region, and also give general recommendations on the position of the chest during the practice of asanas.

https://youtu.be/1OKe04tPfM0

When can I practice?

There is no clear answer to the question of when you can do yoga after childbirth. When answering this question, you need to take into account many factors: from the method of delivery (natural birth or cesarean section, were there any complications during childbirth, the presence of stitches, etc.), the general physical fitness of the woman including activity during pregnancy, ending with personal feelings of readiness to physical activity.

Of course, when making a decision to resume/start practice, it is imperative to take into account medical conditions and the recommendations of your doctor.

1. Regardless of how the birth went, you can fearlessly begin the practice (regardless of the time that has passed since the time of birth) with light pranayamas and meditations - these types of practices will perfectly help cope with stress, relax the body and calm the mind.
2. If the birth took place naturally, then most doctors and yoga instructors believe that you can start practicing asanas 1.5 months after birth - provided there are no complications after childbirth. An important condition for this is that if stitches were placed, they must heal completely; bleeding should not be allowed.
3. If the birth took place by caesarean section, then it is recommended to start the practice no earlier than 5-6 months after birth, this time in most cases is enough for the sutures to heal and the mother’s entire body to recover.

The indicated periods are considered optimal, subject to which the practice will not harm the physical condition of the mother and lactation. Even if you feel great immediately after giving birth, it is not recommended to start active practice, because... The body still needs time to adjust to breastfeeding.

Structure of the thoracic region

The thoracic spine is a reliable frame that protects the heart and lungs from external influences. In addition to protection, the chest performs respiratory and motor functions.

The thoracic region consists of the sternum, 12 pairs of ribs and 12 vertebrae.

The size of the vertebrae increases from top to bottom to compensate for the increasing load on the spine.

At the front of the chest is the sternum . In front it has a slightly convex shape, and in the back it is slightly concave.

On the sternum there are notches: jugular, clavicular and costal. The bones of the collarbones are attached to the clavicular notches. The cartilage of the true ribs is attached to the costal notches.

There are three parts of the sternum: the body, the manubrium and the xiphoid process. The body of the sternum is almost three times longer than the manubrium, but at the same time narrower. Women have a shorter sternum than men.

The manubrium is attached to the body of the sternum by a cartilaginous joint.

True ribs are the 7 pairs of upper ribs. The first costal cartilage articulates with the manubrium of the sternum. The second articulates with the joint between the handle and the body. The cartilages of the remaining true ribs articulate with the body of the sternum.

In addition to seven pairs of true ribs, the rib cage includes three pairs of false ribs and two pairs of floating (oscillating) ribs.

Unlike true ones, false and oscillating ribs are not attached to the sternum.

The false ribs are connected to each other, forming a costal arch.

Floating ribs do not have a direct connection to the sternum and other ribs. They are attached only to the spine.

Classification

A concave ribcage can be symmetrical or noticeable on only one side. The following deviations are usually diagnosed:

• funnel chest,
• cleft sternum,
• keeled chest,
• Poland syndrome.

Most often, children are diagnosed with pectus excavatum. It is observed in 85-90% of patients. Its sign is an indentation of the sternum, which leads to a decrease in the volume of the chest cavity. Subsequently, the patient’s heart becomes displaced and the spine becomes bent.

This pathology is not very pronounced when the sternum is pressed to a depth of 2 cm. In this case, the position of the patient’s heart does not change. If a depression of 2-4 cm is noticeable, this leads to a displacement of the heart by 3 cm. A deeper depression causes a displacement of the organ by more than 3 cm.

Keeled breasts are also called pigeon or chicken breasts. Its characteristic feature is the attachment of the ribs to the sternum at an angle of 90 degrees. This leads to an increase in the size of the chest. It is shaped like a keel. This pathology causes problems with breathing and the functioning of the cardiovascular system. It is diagnosed more often in boys. Depending on the degree of chest protrusion, it can be:

• costal type, when the deformation is almost invisible,
• manubriocostal, when the manubrium of the sternum protrudes and its body sinks,
• corpocostal type, a sign of which is a protrusion in the lower and sometimes the middle third of the sternum.

A cleft sternum is a congenital defect that occurs when the sternum does not close completely during embryonic development. Poland syndrome also occurs when embryonic development is disrupted. This diagnosis is made if some pectoral muscles or ribs are missing.

How to treat slipping rib syndrome?

Recommendations for chest position during yoga practice

Build a neutral chest position

The neutral position of the chest is its anatomically correct position. In this position, the shoulders are lowered, the chest is straightened, the lower front ribs are directed inward of the body, and the distance between the ilia and the front ribs is lengthened. The easiest way to learn to build a neutral position of the thoracic region is in Tadasana. And after it is mastered, transfer it to other asanas.

Incorrect chest position is a risk for the lower back. Indeed, in this case, the height of the lower back decreases and, due to strong compression, degenerative changes occur in the spine.

In other words, the opening of the thoracic region is not equal to the protrusion of the anterior ribs up and forward. On the contrary, in the latter case, excessive compression of the lower back and lumbar vertebrae occurs.

In order to open the chest, you need to work with your shoulder blades. You need to simultaneously direct your shoulder blades towards each other, down and inside the body. In this case, there is no need to excessively compress the space between the shoulder blades. It will be enough to imagine that between them you are holding a small object (for example, a box of matches) - this will be the neutral distance between the shoulder blades.

In order to open the chest, it is necessary to simultaneously direct the shoulder blades towards each other, down and inside the body.

When bending to the side, do not squeeze, but stretch your side.

With lateral tilt, the articular surfaces of the processes of two adjacent vertebrae slide relative to each other. To avoid excessive compression, you need to not only tilt your body to the side, but also simultaneously stretch and lengthen your spine.

The figure below shows what happens to the vertebrae during tilting. The articular surfaces of their processes slide relative to each other. On the side of the slope they slide down (blue arrow), and on the opposite side they slide up (red arrow).

When tilting the body to the side, you should not “squeeze” the sides, but rather lengthen them. This applies to both the “top” and “bottom” sides. This will avoid excessive compression in the articular processes of the vertebrae on the side of the tilt.

To perform a side bend correctly, it is necessary to increase the distance between the ilia and the anterior ribs both on the side of the bend and on the opposite side. At the same time, you need to stretch the top of your head diagonally up and to the side, feeling the lengthening of your back.

Keep your back straight while twisting your body.

In all twists, you need to monitor the position of your back: it should be flat, not rounded. You can control your straight back using your shoulders. They should remain on the same line (one shoulder should not be higher than the other). It is also necessary to constantly stretch upward behind the crown, increasing the space between the pelvis and ribs. Only twisting with simultaneous stretching benefits the body. The opposite rounded position of the back can cause harm and cause displacement of the vertebrae and compression of the nerves.

To control the position of the back, it is necessary to track 4 points: the left and right shoulder, the left and right part of the pelvis (iliac bones in a standing position or ischial bones in a sitting position). Both shoulders should be on the same horizontal line, as should both parts of the pelvis.

In sitting asanas, you can help yourself lengthen your back with your hands. But at the same time, it is unacceptable to “twist” yourself with your hands - twisting should not occur due to the strength of your hands, but due to the work of your back muscles.

In all twists, you need to monitor the position of your back: it should be straight, not round.

Clinical manifestations

If a person has stretched chest muscles, then first of all there is a sharp pain syndrome and limited mobility of the shoulder girdle. Symptoms of a strained pectoral muscle may include difficulty breathing and pain when trying to turn or bend the body. In the area where the injury is located, swelling very quickly forms, and muscle contractility increases and decreases only after the internal hematoma grows.

A strong cough or a sharp breath can provoke stretching of the intercostal muscles. In this case, slight pain will occur in the area of ​​the costal arches, which intensifies with deep breaths and palpation of the damaged area. Visible swelling or subcutaneous hematomas do not occur as a result of such damage, and complete recovery takes about five days.

Late symptoms are characterized by stretching of the diaphragm muscles, which can be very dangerous if a hernia forms in this area. In some cases, the occurrence of such damage can be caused by compression of the lung tissue. In this case, the victim needs immediate surgical treatment. To accurately determine the clinical picture, the patient needs a qualified examination in a hospital setting.

Inflammation

Almost always, due to stretching, an inflammatory process occurs in injured muscle tissue. This happens because blood inflammatory agents - leukocytes - begin to flow to the location of damaged muscle fibers, provoking inflammation in order to improve blood circulation and accelerate the regeneration of affected tissues.

Also, the cause of the formation of an inflammatory process can be the development of an infectious disease due to hypothermia of a certain area, a sharp change in temperature, or when the body’s defenses are reduced. A sign of inflammation is the occurrence of constant dull painful sensations, which may become more pronounced during movements or touching the site of injury.

Quite often you can encounter pain in the area of ​​the intercostal muscles, which is caused by muscle spasm. It can occur due to prolonged muscle tension or uncomfortable positioning of the torso, followed by sudden relaxation. Also, a spasm can cause an increase in tone in a certain part of the muscle fibers.

Chest opening

Everyone knows that our spine is the basis of our health, since the normal functioning of all organs of the human body depends on the condition of the spine. Pain is a sign that it’s time to pay attention to the condition of your body.

Chest pain

Very often we experience pain in the chest area. Pain can be in the front, behind and inside. This can be a nagging pain, sharp or stabbing pain, pain when inhaling or exhaling, inability to bend and straighten. All this speaks of tightness of the chest. These unpleasant sensations make us worry and take pills to numb the pain. Everything would be fine, but the pain returns and it is not always connected with our physical body.

The causes of chest pain can be different. Conventionally, they can be divided into physiological and psychological.

1. thoracic scoliosis

4. lack of physical activity

5. improper sitting at the table/improper distribution of weight

6. problems with vision (as a result, a person begins to hunch over)

2. restraining your desires and emotions

4. impossibility of self-expression

By suppressing all these emotions, you become stooped, and our chest becomes sunken. Therefore, in addition to performing exercises to open the chest, first of all, you need to turn to your heart and ask what is happening in it, since it is precisely this that is hidden in our chest.

Yoga for chest opening

This article provides yoga exercises that can help open the chest and strengthen the muscle corset. There are many different exercises, but this article presents the simplest and most effective ones.

All exercises are designed for beginner yoga practitioners. To effectively open the chest, asanas and pranayama (breathing techniques) are used. Yoga makes it possible to gently and gently open up the chest, strengthening the muscles.

There are several simple but effective exercises. First of all, it is smooth and deep breathing. By breathing deeply, you expand the chest, eliminate all congestion, thereby saturating the lungs, and as a result, the entire body with oxygen. Such types of pranayamas as full yogic breathing, chest breathing are very useful and effective. If you learn to breathe correctly and deeply, your chest will straighten and your lungs will perform their function to the maximum.

Exercises to open the chest

The following exercises must be performed regularly if you want to breathe deeply and get rid of pain and discomfort in the chest.

1. Sit in any comfortable position with your legs crossed and your back straight, hands on your knees. Inhale – chest forward, exhale – round. Repeat several times.

Exercises while kneeling.

1. Ushtrasana (camel pose): kneel down, sit on your heels, grab your ankles, gently lift your pelvis, stretch your chest up, do not twist your neck. Do 3 full breathing cycles.
2. Cervicothoracic bend: four points of support, bend your elbows, elbows pointing back, lower your chest and chin to the floor. Do 3 full breathing cycles.

Exercises while lying on your stomach

1. Dhanurasana (bow pose): lie on the floor, bend your knees, grab your shins, and while inhaling, raise your legs and shoulders. Do 3 full breathing cycles.
2. Bhujangasana (cobra pose): lie on the floor, place your hands under your shoulders, elbows pressed to your torso, while inhaling, raise your torso using your back muscles, without lifting your hips from the floor, do not throw your head back. Do 3 full breathing cycles.

1. Gomukhasana (cow head pose): sit on the mat, bend the right leg, place it on the mat, bend the left, cover the right leg without lifting the pelvis, place the left hand behind the back, reach for the right hand. Do 3 full breathing cycles. Repeat with the other leg.

1. Matsiasana (fish pose): lie on your back, feet facing you, rest your head on the floor, stretch your chest up. Do 3 full breathing cycles.
2. Ardha chakrasana (half-bridge pose): lie on your back, bend your knees, arms along your body, inhale to understand the pelvis, strive with your chest up, exhale to lower. Do 3 full breathing cycles.
3. Chakrasana (bridge pose): lie on your back, bend your knees, bend your elbows, lower your hands near your head, push off the mat and raise your torso, go into a bridge, stretch your stomach up. Do 3 full breathing cycles.

The Healing Power of Postpartum Yoga

Changing the rhythm of life after the birth of a baby can become an emotional stress for some women. Therefore, it is important during this crucial period to pay attention to restoring the physical and psychological state of the mother.

During the first few weeks after giving birth, even routine procedures like showering and self-care can feel like a luxury for some women, given the fact that many new mothers now focus all their time and attention on meeting the needs of the baby.

But it is important for every woman to learn to take a few minutes for herself - this may be the only time throughout the day when you focus on your own needs.

In India they say that a woman's body after pregnancy and childbirth is like the Hindu god Shiva - the destroyer. Shiva represents the destruction of all old habits and attachments, and this destruction is followed by rebirth.

For a new mother, this is the birth of a new person. As you strive to return to your previous body and physical condition, remember that the “destruction” you experienced has given you the privilege of growing as a person and as a mother. The practice of yoga in all its diversity will help you come to this knowledge and find harmony with your renewed body and sensations.

Even if you can only spend 10 minutes doing yoga, you will soon feel refreshed and fulfilled. Remember: taking care of yourself will help you take care of others, because the mood and condition of the household depends on a woman’s condition! Welcome to the amazing journey of motherhood!

Complex "Surya Namaskar"

The “Surya Namaskar” complex perfectly liberates the chest in positions No. 2 “Stretching with raised arms”, position No. 4 “Rider”, position No. 6 “Greeting with eight parts of the body”, position No. 7 “Cobra”.

Depending on your training and physical fitness, perform all exercises feeling your limit. There should be some slight discomfort. If dizziness or shortness of breath occurs, stop exercising, close your eyes and relax. After resting, proceed to further practice.

With the help of these exercises, you will gradually open up your chest and learn to breathe deeply, and by clearing your heart of uncertainty, resentment, and lack of self-confidence, you will forever get rid of pain and discomfort in your chest.

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What is correct posture

Posture is a comfortable position for a person in which he remains for a long period. It is formed over many years. It is necessary to monitor the child and prevent the risks of developing scoliosis and other serious diseases. When the spine is curved, flat feet appear. This insidious disease does not give a person the right to a normal existence. Pain in the legs occurs during a short walk to the store. Flat feet of the last degree cannot be treated.

Benefits of good posture

In women with correct posture, all muscles are tightened, the stomach goes inward, organs and systems are not compressed and perform important functions correctly. The gait of such people becomes smooth and easy. People with correct posture never suffer from constipation.

Important conditions of royal posture:

• the back is straightened as much as possible;
• shoulders spread to the sides;
• head raised;
• the chin looks slightly up;
• shoulder blades are lowered;
• The lower back should not bend.

Such a person will be surrounded by interesting people, and he will easily be able to demonstrate leadership qualities. Society loves noticeable, beautiful, athletic people. Royal posture and royal bearing indicate that a person’s life has turned out great.

Important! The condition of our face and the age we see in the mirror directly depend on our posture, the condition of our neck, back and spine.

Due to blocks, clamps, distortions in the neck and shoulder girdle, the face becomes distorted, the muscles on it become pinched, atrophy, blood flow to the neck worsens, causing the quality of the skin on the face to noticeably deteriorate, and because of all this, wrinkles and sagging are formed.

Therefore, on the path to natural rejuvenation of the face and body, the first thing you should do is get your back, neck and spine in order.

Facial changes with age

Identifying poor posture

To identify curvatures of the back, you need to lean close to the wall, identify the protrusions: the back of the head, buttocks, shoulder blades should touch. There should be a space of no more than 5-10 cm between the wall and the lower back.

An orthopedist or surgeon can notice a slight curvature of posture. Moderate and severe degrees are visible to the naked eye. The more curved the spine is, the more difficult it will be to do the exercises. Posture correction is needed to treat some orthopedic diseases:

Exercises for back posture were developed by kinesiotherapists. Kinesitherapy is translated from Greek as movement treatment.

• Left-sided scoliosis - the left muscles are severely stretched, while the right side of the back remains in the same position. All exercises should be done to the right side;
• Right-sided scoliosis The muscles on the right side of the back are stretched more, the left spinal column is shifted to the right side. Some systems in the body fail. Exercises to straighten your posture should be carried out mainly on the left side, so that the back muscles on the left side become equal in length to the right. The spine will gradually align and, with persistent training, will fall into place;
• Lordosis is the bending of the spine with the apex forward;
• Kyphosis is an excessive backward bending of the thoracic spine.

Causes of poor posture

The causes of curvature of the spinal column can be: incorrect body position, carrying a heavy load, diseases of the musculoskeletal system (osteochondrosis), malocclusion, injuries.

Consequences of posture correction

Correcting your back posture makes it possible to improve your well-being and appearance. After just a 10-day course of exercises, you will feel freedom, ease of movement, and strength. Memory retention will improve, as lost blood flow leading to the brain will be restored. Nerve and brain cells will be well supplied with oxygen. If you have been suffering from oxygen starvation (hypoxia, dizziness, headache), you will no longer feel discomfort. Back and neck pain will go away.

Important principles for recovery

1. Gradual entry into practice.

   Start your practice with static poses, smoothly move from pose to pose. The recommended exercise time is 20 minutes, with each lesson add +5 minutes to the previous lesson, then the load will increase gradually. If you start to actively load yourself from the very beginning, then you can return to the initial state and you will need even more time to recover.

2. Carefully monitor your physical condition and well-being.

   Some women who begin more active practices may experience bleeding again; this indicates that the body is not yet ready for physical activity; you need to give yourself rest and additional time to recover.

3. Be sure to warm up before practice!

   Surely you noticed during pregnancy (if you practiced at that time) that your body became more flexible. This occurs due to the release of the hormone relaxin in the mother’s body, which ensures the softening of ligaments and joints in light of the upcoming birth. This hormone can remain in the body for several months after delivery. Therefore, take care of your ligaments, tendons, muscles and joints!

4. Practice should be stress-free.

   Give yourself rest between asanas if necessary. At the end of the practice, perform restorative poses (see below) and don’t forget about Shavasana! Just a few minutes allotted for complete relaxation after practice will restore you, fill you with energy and good mood.

Exercises to correct posture at home

To cure an orthopedic back disease, you don’t have to go to paid classes - you can train at home. Each posture exercise must be performed correctly, otherwise you will never see a positive effect.

Before practicing good posture exercises, please read the following information for a safe workout:

• You cannot perform techniques for arterial hypertension, hypertension, on a full or empty stomach;
• If you are starting to practice for the first time, do not try to do as much as possible, as quickly as possible;
• All movements should be slow and smooth (so as not to tear the muscles);
• Gymnastics should not be performed in the evening before bedtime;
• If you strain a muscle, take a warm bath;
• You should not do exercises in the sun.

Posture exercises can be done in water; if you live near a pond or have a swimming pool, that’s great. The water itself will gradually straighten your spine. The main advantage of exercising in water is the painlessness of muscle strain. It is important that during exercises there is a second person nearby, otherwise muscle cramps will unexpectedly occur. No one is immune from this.

What can you do to get your back in order? There are two ways:

• Relax and stretch the muscles of the back and shoulder girdle, then strengthen them in the correct position. A course of massage, manual therapy and “pumping” already relaxed and stretched muscles into the desired position can help with this. In this case, you cannot do without specialists, since, naturally, only someone can give you a massage, and you must strengthen your muscles only with a specialist who sees you from the outside and can correct the wrong position and guide you in the right direction;
• The second method is independent. Relaxation of muscles using osteopathic methods, special exercises that remove clamps and blocks and, when performed regularly, remove distortions in the body, pump the muscles into the desired position, which soon has a favorable effect on the appearance.

Exercises to open the thoracic spine, relax and stretch it

It’s good to start your workout with an exercise that relaxes and stretches the spinal column.

• Place your feet shoulder-width apart and slowly, starting from the neck, lower “one vertebra at a time” until the completely relaxed spine hangs on its sacral section. Place your relaxed hands under your head hanging down, clasping your elbows with your palms. The spine should hang relaxed with the slightest movement of the hips. Only the legs are tense in this technique. Stay in this position for 30 seconds to several minutes. Then begin to slowly lift the spine up, just as you lowered it, one vertebra at a time, just starting from the bottom.

Next, it is very good for correct posture to perform exercises to open the thoracic spine.

• Place your feet wider than your shoulders in front of the window sill, or place a chair with a backrest and a mop in front of you. Stretch your arms forward and tilt your body down so that a 90-degree angle is formed between your torso and legs and spring, the lower the better. The arms should be tense and resist the support;

• Lying on a cushion. To do this you will need a roller. It can be either purchased or homemade from a tightly rolled towel covered with tape. Initially, the diameter is suitable 10-12 centimeters, over time it can be increased. Lie down on the floor. Place a cushion under your shoulder blades. Place your hands back behind your head, place your palms on the floor, clasping your little fingers together. Place your legs straight, heels apart, big toes together. Lie in this position for five to ten minutes (at first, if it’s not comfortable, maybe less). Then move the roller under the lower back. Lie down for 5 minutes. After the exercise, you will feel that your back has straightened and you will not want to slouch it again;

• Rest your palms on the doorway alternately in three positions: on your arms extended upward, on your arms or forearms at chest level, on your arms at waist level. Hang in each position for 30 seconds. After sagging at each level, twist your back in the opposite direction, as if you were hugging a large ball, for 30 seconds.

Posture exercises

• We spread our legs to the sides, raise our arms up and reach for the sky, count to 5, lower our arms down;
• Feet shoulder-width apart, we do scissors with our hands on the right and left sides, we give preference to the side that we want to cure, if the scoliosis is right-sided, we stretch the back muscles of the left side and vice versa;
• Feet shoulder-width apart, raise your arm up, bend 5-7 times to the right and left;
• We walk on tiptoes. Hands up, for convenience, you can grab the stick by the two ends. Then stand on tiptoes and walk around the room for 5-10 minutes;
• Starting position: lying on your stomach. At the same time, raise your straightened arms and legs up 30 degrees. Exercise strengthens all the muscles in our body. You should not do this exercise if you have lordosis;
• Lie down on a couch or sofa, so that part of your body, starting from your feet, is down. Grab the opposite end of the bed. Stretch your back muscles for 5-10 seconds, 7-10 times (it all depends on your capabilities);
• Starting position on your back. Bend upward, lean on your shoulders and heels. Stand in this position for 10-30 seconds;
• Lie on your back in an asterisk position, pressing your palms and shoulders to the floor. Raise your legs, bending them at the knee joints, turn them to the left, then to the right. At the end of the gymnastics, be sure to get on all fours, sit on your heels, palms should remain in place, arms and back straight. In this position, count 10 seconds and return to the starting position.

The next two videos offer several posture routines performed while lying down.

If you have uneven posture, exercises should be performed very slowly and smoothly. Pull-ups must be very careful.

Rubber resistance bands, sticks, and large rubber balls are used as auxiliary materials to correct posture.

If the spine is severely curved, exercises with jumping, running, and dancing are contraindicated. It is not recommended to make sudden movements, otherwise the risk of developing an intervertebral hernia increases. Gymnastic exercise for the spine is in first place for diseases of the musculoskeletal system.

It is necessary to prevent spinal curvature: read while lying on your stomach, swim more, send your child to rhythmic gymnastics, and practice Nordic walking.

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Stretching the neck muscles against slouching

If you work on a computer or work at a desk all day, it is likely that the muscles in the front of your neck have become shorter and have caused you to slouch.

This is also possible if you regularly train your abs incorrectly.

Before vigorously attempting this exercise, consult your physician, especially if you have high blood pressure or neck problems. This is a great activity for some, but bad news for others. This is my favorite exercise for the neck since I survived being run over by one idiot, but, nevertheless, it was not without damage to the curvature of the cervical spine.

Lie down on a bench (or sturdy table) with your head hanging freely over the edge.

Inhale and tense your neck muscles, as if strengthening it for a blow.

Hold the muscle tension and breath for a second, then exhale and relax. Repeat this several times until you feel discomfort. As you relax your muscles between contractions, try decompressing and stretching the muscles in your cervical spine.

Why is chest opening necessary?

If a person is stooped, his chest is compressed and the internal organs are in the wrong anatomical position. Correct posture has been developing for decades. To avoid the development of scoliosis or other diseases, you need to monitor how your child walks from childhood. Curvature of the spine also entails flat feet, and this disease limits a person’s full life and after only a short walk his legs begin to hurt.

In a person with correct posture, all muscle fibers are toned and tightened, internal organs and systems are not compressed, and perform their functions correctly. The gait is usually light and smooth. Expert observations have shown that people with correct posture do not suffer from constipation.

Conditions that must be observed for natural opening of the chest:

• the back is straightened as much as possible;
• the lower back should not be bent;
• shoulders spread to the sides;
• shoulder blades are lowered;
• head raised;
• the chin always “looks” a little upward.

If you do not monitor the condition of the chest and posture, this will lead to the formation of distortions in the neck and shoulder girdle, tension and atrophy of muscle fibers, and the condition of the skin worsens.

Identifying incorrect posture at home is not difficult. To do this, you need to lean close to the wall and pay attention to the ledges. Only the back of the head, buttocks, and shoulder blades should touch the wall. There should be an interval of no more than 5-10 cm between the lower back and the surface.

Minor curvatures can only be detected by a surgeon or orthopedist during a medical examination. Moderate and severe lesions are visible to the naked eye. The more curved the spine is, the more difficult it will be to perform asanas and breathing practices.

To relax your chest muscles, you need to read the information for safe training:

• You cannot exercise under the scorching rays of the sun.
• It is prohibited to perform exercises with diagnosed arterial hypertension, hypertension, as well as on an empty or full stomach.
• If a muscle has been strained during training, you need to take a warm bath.
• When performing a workout for the first time, you should perform each exercise with extreme caution, and not “more and faster.”
• Gymnastics should not be performed in the evening before bed.
• To avoid damaging muscle fibers, all movements should be smooth and slow.

Why do you need yoga after childbirth?

Postpartum yoga is a great way for a mother to restore her emotional background, good physical well-being and, in general, begin to take care of herself.

The basic poses of postnatal yoga address the most common problems encountered in most women who have given birth.

Remember that our bodies are always in transition, so don't expect to get back exactly to your pre-pregnancy shape. But you can count on being, at a minimum, healthy and fit.

In yoga schools you can find special postnatal yoga classes that offer, in addition to physical recovery and strengthening of the body, psychological support in a community of other women.

You can do yoga to recover after childbirth at home, having read our recommendations and restrictions.