Knee pain isn’t restricted to elderly citizens alone. The modern sedentary lifestyles that you lead are as much to blame for your knee-related woes. The long hours at work and lack of a regular fitness routine have taken their toll. But, worry not, all is not lost yet. Not if you exercise caution right away and introduce the following yoga asanas in your daily life to keep knee pain at bay.
The Channel 46 has collaborated with Nikita Agrawal, the Founder of Isira Yoga, who shares 5 yoga asanas to arrest knee pain, along with their benefits and caution to be exercised before you do them.
1. Malasana (Garland Pose)
Instructions to reach the pose
- Squat with your feet close together, keeping your heels on the floor
- Keep your thighs apart, pressing your elbows against your inner thighs
- Keep the spine straight and lengthen upwards
- Gaze in front
- Breathe normally while holding the posture.
Caution
- Avoid if you have any physical injury or recent surgery (i.e. knee surgery, Hip replacement surgery)
Benefits
- The hip opener works on hip flexors
- Strengthens the knees making them less prone to injury and pain
2. Setu Bandhasana (Bridge Pose)
Instructions to reach the pose
- Lie down on your back, bend both knees (knees facing the ceiling and hip-width apart)
- Move the feet closer to the buttocks and press the feet into the floor.
- Inhale and lift the hips up.
- Press down into the arms and shoulders to lift the chest up.
- For advanced practice take the hips up higher
Caution
- Avoid if neck, back, or shoulder injury
Benefits
- Stretches the chest, neck, spine, and hips.
- Strengthens the back, buttocks
- Strengthens the legs and hamstrings, thereby strengthening the knee muscles.
3. Tadasana (Mountain Pose)
Instructions to reach the pose
- Keep your knees, thighs and feet together
- Activate your toes, pointing in front
- Interlock your fingers over your head
- Inhale and stretch your arms over your head, with palms facing up. Lift your heels and stand on your toes.
- Breathe normally while holding the posture
Benefits
- Tones legs muscles
- Strengthens and stretches the knees
- Improves posture thereby working on avoiding undue pressure on knees.
4. Virasana (Hero Pose)
Instructions to reach the pose
- Kneel on the mat with both knees hip-width apart
- Slide your feet apart wider than your hip width with the top of your feet flat on the floor
- Rest buttocks comfortably on the mat
- Keep spine straight
- Rest palms on your lap
- Breathe normally while holding the posture.
Caution
- Avoid if you have any recent knee or ankle injury
Benefits
- Strengthens the knees
- Eases stress on knees and ankles
- Strengthen quadriceps
5. Virabhadrasana II (Warrior 2)
Instructions to reach the pose
- Rotate right foot 90 degrees.
- Take your right knee above your ankle with your thigh parallel to the mat.
- Engage your hips
- Extend your arms shoulder level, parallel to the floor, palms facing down, fingers pointed out.
- Lift your chest upwards.
- Gaze at your right fingers
- Engage both your legs and core muscles
- Repeat on the other side.
Caution
- Make sure the entire weight of the body is not falling on the knees but is evenly distributed through all leg muscles
Benefits
- Strengthening and toning leg muscles
- Stretching of knees makes them stronger and less prone to injury
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