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6 easy yoga poses you can literally do in your bed, so no more excuses!

Are you guilty of giving up on working out simply out of laziness? Quit the guilt and try these easy yoga poses you can do in bed.
Wake up and perform these exercises on your bed. Image courtesy: Shutterstock
Sonakshi Kohli Updated: 15 Jun 2020, 19:22 pm IST
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The biggest hurdle that many of us face on the path to fitness and good health is definitely laziness. After all, just the thought of giving up the comfort of your cozy, inviting bed to work out can be nauseating. But, what if we told you that you could work out—without getting out of bed? Yes, you read that right.

We had a chat with the celebrity fitness expert and wellness coach, Grandmaster Akshar who let us in on a secret: there exist yoga poses you can do in bed! Yup, there are some stretching exercises you can try every morning without crawling out of your bed and get a toned body.

“Yoga is the ancient practice of mind and body union that promises to deliver a host of benefits. The beauty of the divine science that is yoga is that you can do it even in bed as soon as you wake up,” Grandmaster Akshar.

“Usually mornings are hectic and one tends to jump right out to get on with the day’s activities,” he adds.

Including a few stretches in your morning routine can give you a toned body, along with a calming start to your day.

“Before you begin yoga on your bed, you could start with subtle exercises such as gentle rotation of your neck, arms, wrists, and ankles to slowly warm up the joints. Practice simple breathing techniques with your eyes closed and a straight spine. This will prepare your body for the practice, and keep you safe from practice-related injuries. Also, make sure that your bed is not too soft, in which case you should perform these asanas on a yoga mat,” he adds.

Once you’re done with this warm-up, gear up for these yoga poses you can do in bed recommended by him:

1. Balasana (child’s pose)
Benefits:
*Helps relieve fatigue
*Relaxes the body
*Regulates breathing and restores calmness
*Lengthens and stretches out the spine
*Gently stretches the ankles, hips, and shoulders
*Boosts digestion
*Eases neck and back pain

This foetus like yoga pose will stretch your spine. Image courtesy: Shutterstock

How to perform: Kneel down on your bed and place your hips on your heels. Inhale and raise arms above your head. Exhale and bend your upper body forward while touching your head on the bed. At this point, your pelvis should rest on your knees and you’ve got to make sure that your back is not hunched.

2. Sukhasana (happy pose)
Benefits
*Lengthens the spine
*Broadens your collarbones and chest
*Calms the mind
*Reduces anxiety, stress, and mental tiredness
*Improves body posture
*Stretches out the hips

Keep an idea of your risk of weight-related issues.

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Try sukhasana every morning revitalize your senses. Image courtesy: Shutterstock

How to perform: Sit in an upright position with both legs stretched out in front of you. Fold the left leg and tuck it inside the right thigh. Then, fold the right leg and tuck it inside the left thigh. Now, place your palms on the knees and sit straight with your spine erect.

3. Marjariasana (cat pose)
Benefits
*Great for relaxation and stress relief
*Stretches back and neck muscles
*Facilitates deep inhalation and exhalation

Watch:

How to perform: Get down on your knees, place your palms in front of you and basically, get on all fours. Inhale, curve your spine, and lookup. Hold this position for 1-2 seconds and then, exhale, curve your spine to form an arch, and look downwards, focusing the gaze on your chest. This completes one cycle. You can perform 5-10 repetitions of this pose.

Also read: The cat pose is the yoga asana you need to end backache

4. Naukasana (boat pose)
Benefits
*Strengthens the lower back, stomach, and leg muscles
*Improves functioning of the digestive system
*Tones the waist and promotes weight loss
*Eliminates gastrointestinal discomfort
*Tones up abdominal muscles
*Boosts circulatory, nervous, and hormonal systems

The boat pose focuses on abdominal muscles. Image courtesy: Shutterstock

How to perform: Lie down on your back. Lift up your upper and lower body to balance on your sitting bone or your hips. Your toes must be aligned with your eyes and your knees and back must be absolutely straight. Also, keep your arms parallel to the ground and pointing forward, tighten your abdominal muscles, and exhale. Hold this position for a couple of seconds and get back to the resting position.

5. Vajrasana (thunderbolt pose)
Benefits
*Aids digestion and can be practiced right after meals
*Strengthens the muscles
*Relaxes and strengthens feet, ankle, and knee caps
*Lubricates knee caps

Vajrasana is better than taking antacids! Image courtesy: Shutterstock

How to perform: Kneel down keeping your heels close to each other. Do not place the toes on top of each other. Instead, the right and left foot must be next to each other. Place your palms on your knees facing upwards. Straighten your back and look forward. Hold it for a couple of minutes if you can.

6. Paschimottanasana (seated-forward bend)
Benefits
*Acts as a stress reliever
*Reduces fat deposits in the abdomen
*Reduces anxiety, anger, and irritability
*Stretches the spine and brings flexibility
*Relieves constipation and digestive disorders
*Tones up the abdominal pelvic organs
*It regulates the menstrual cycle

The seated forward bend is even good for your menstrual cycle. Image courtesy: Shutterstock

How to perform: Sit with your legs stretched out in front of you. Now, bend your knees slightly and extend your arms upwards while keeping your spine erect. Exhale and try to breathe out the air from your stomach. While exhaling, bend forward at the hip and place your upper body on your legs. Lower your arms and try to touch your toes with your fingers and knees with your nose. Hold the pose for 10 seconds and repeat.

We say you do these right after waking up but really, any time is good when it comes to yoga. These can be done from the comfort of your bed, so no excuses anymore! Make these easy yoga poses you can do in bed a part of your routine and you’ll have health on your side.

Sonakshi Kohli

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