Its been 4 months since I started my first job at a healthcare startup. Four months of learning new things, meeting new people, hustling.. Four months of creating valuable, not so valuable contributions.. Its also been four months of sitting around on a desk and working long hours..
Yes, four long months of sedentary living!!
Its not very different for my friends. Some are too busy to eat, let alone exercise... others procrastinate. Some don’t care.
Life’s so different now, back in Roorkee.. we’d swim, play, wander about the campus.. walking for hours daily.. We’d travel to Rishikesh, himalayas.. Bike trips! These days, my travel consists of 2-3 hours spent in a metro commuting to office and back home. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love what I am doing.. Just that, it leaves little time for sports/active lifestyle.. You might have different reasons for being inactive.. These happen to be mine!
I did try going to the gym in the mornings.. Didn’t work out! I like my mornings really peaceful - deep breathing.. drinking lots of water, eating fruits, the sunrise and the calm cold wind! Gyms were exactly opposite. Pumping iron with loud music, not for me. In the evenings, I was too late to have dinner on time, let alone going to the gym.
This lead to a lot of postponing and procrastination. Couldn’t see a way out. Until recently. Just before my convocation in September (everybody looked bloated on the convocation btw), when I attempted my yoga test.
I’ll explain -
As a kid, I was fascinated with yoga. A small book with a flowery cover written by (infamous) Asaram bapu used to be the coffee table book lying around house with all the yogasanas explained. Then, I could easily do them all. Till college, every now and then, I used to test my flexibility through a few of these asanas. (Esp. Pashchimottanasana)
Why flexibility?
I associate flexibility with good health. Children have really flexible bodies. Women are generally more flexible than men (Women live longer with comparatively lower chances of hypertension or cardiovascular troubles).
As we age, our bodies stiffen.
(Remember what happens when someone dies? The body stiffens.)
The trendline clearly shows that flexibility goes down as you age! This anecdote works well for me.
So, just after 3 months of super sedentary lifestyle.. I could barely touch my hands with my toes when earlier I could touch easily my head to the knees. I went online to look for plausible reasons.. Sitting for longer duration leads to weakening of the lower back muscles.. leading to lower back troubles and eventually we become prone to problems like slip discs, chronic neck and back pain, sore shoulders etc etc.. Didn't like the sound of it.
Being overly sensitive about my spinal flexibility, I found a book from my father’s collection. The whole book is dedicated to just 9 asanas. The beauty of yoga asanas is that they are intimately connected with the spinal health. All the 9 asanas focus on stretching the spine. As a side gain, they are huge mood uplifters. You’ll notice that by the time you reach to the third asana, you’ll be breathing deeper.. Feel lighter, brighter and active. It only takes about 15 minutes of peaceful exercises. Full body stretch with overall well being. Indian saints were truly genius!
One rule - Inhale as you open your body, hold. Exhale while compressing it. Hold.
Holding the position is important, very important.
My progress -
“Yoga also builds cardiovascular health, increases lung capacity, and improves respiratory function and heart rate.”
I urge you to test it out. Take this challenge, do the asanas. Do them slowly and safely. Look them up from the internet if you need instructions. You’ll fall in love with the freshness you feel after these simple asanas twist your spine in different positions and at strategic angles...
I can answer any queries although I am not an expert but I can read the book and let you know..
I would love to know if you can touch your head to your knees in Pashchimottanasana. If yes, can you do this?
 |
| Strategy room - Before quarterly board meeting |
Yes, four long months of sedentary living!!
Its not very different for my friends. Some are too busy to eat, let alone exercise... others procrastinate. Some don’t care.
 |
| After hours in the office. |
I did try going to the gym in the mornings.. Didn’t work out! I like my mornings really peaceful - deep breathing.. drinking lots of water, eating fruits, the sunrise and the calm cold wind! Gyms were exactly opposite. Pumping iron with loud music, not for me. In the evenings, I was too late to have dinner on time, let alone going to the gym.
This lead to a lot of postponing and procrastination. Couldn’t see a way out. Until recently. Just before my convocation in September (everybody looked bloated on the convocation btw), when I attempted my yoga test.
I’ll explain -
As a kid, I was fascinated with yoga. A small book with a flowery cover written by (infamous) Asaram bapu used to be the coffee table book lying around house with all the yogasanas explained. Then, I could easily do them all. Till college, every now and then, I used to test my flexibility through a few of these asanas. (Esp. Pashchimottanasana)
Why flexibility?
I associate flexibility with good health. Children have really flexible bodies. Women are generally more flexible than men (Women live longer with comparatively lower chances of hypertension or cardiovascular troubles).
As we age, our bodies stiffen.
(Remember what happens when someone dies? The body stiffens.)
The trendline clearly shows that flexibility goes down as you age! This anecdote works well for me.
So, just after 3 months of super sedentary lifestyle.. I could barely touch my hands with my toes when earlier I could touch easily my head to the knees. I went online to look for plausible reasons.. Sitting for longer duration leads to weakening of the lower back muscles.. leading to lower back troubles and eventually we become prone to problems like slip discs, chronic neck and back pain, sore shoulders etc etc.. Didn't like the sound of it.
Being overly sensitive about my spinal flexibility, I found a book from my father’s collection. The whole book is dedicated to just 9 asanas. The beauty of yoga asanas is that they are intimately connected with the spinal health. All the 9 asanas focus on stretching the spine. As a side gain, they are huge mood uplifters. You’ll notice that by the time you reach to the third asana, you’ll be breathing deeper.. Feel lighter, brighter and active. It only takes about 15 minutes of peaceful exercises. Full body stretch with overall well being. Indian saints were truly genius!
 |
| Please start slow. Flexibility improves with time. |
One rule - Inhale as you open your body, hold. Exhale while compressing it. Hold.
Holding the position is important, very important.
My progress -
 |
| Pashchimottanasana Elbows touch the ground, head touches the knees |
 |
| Spinal Twist Immediate deep breathing follows. |
 |
| Halasana |
“Yoga also builds cardiovascular health, increases lung capacity, and improves respiratory function and heart rate.”
I urge you to test it out. Take this challenge, do the asanas. Do them slowly and safely. Look them up from the internet if you need instructions. You’ll fall in love with the freshness you feel after these simple asanas twist your spine in different positions and at strategic angles...
I can answer any queries although I am not an expert but I can read the book and let you know..
I would love to know if you can touch your head to your knees in Pashchimottanasana. If yes, can you do this?
