8 Yoga Poses For Better Blood Circulation

Having poor blood circulation can lead to different problems for the body to combat, like fluid retention and swelling of the lower extremities. Most of the time the causes of poor blood flow can get out of hand, but the one solution to these is by doing exercises like yoga. This article will discuss on the different yoga poses to achieve good blood circulation. For a fact, swelling can be serious. Exercising is not 100% effective in poor blood circulation, but it can lead to relief from pain. Try out Home Healthcare Products at this site. 

For example, during pregnancy, swelling of the feet and ankles may take place. To this, doing yoga techniques aid in cutting down swelling. Following this up with a warm bath of epsom salts is very effective. Also, raising your legs on cushions in the evening will be helpful. 

Below are some examples of sequence of poses in yoga. You may perform this sequence as you get energized. Upon getting used to the poses, you may do two (2) sets of posture for further benefits. 

1. Easy Pose With Deep Breathing 

To do this yoga pose, you have to sit on the floor and cross your legs together. When having poor blood flow, sitting cross legged on the floor is not advisable. Instead, take a minute or more of deep focused breathing. Concentrate on having deep breaths in and out. 

2. Mountain Pose 

Go to a standing position and bring your feet comfortably under the hips, place the arms by the sides and stand with spine straight. After, think of using a string to go up and down to your spine, which pulls the body upward and strong. You may have your hands by the sides of your body or place them into prayer position. Stand and take some deep breathing. 

3. Chair Pose 

Start with a mountain pose and bend your knees. After, bring your butt lower to the ground. Think of sitting down in an unseen chair. Bring your body as low as your flexibility permits and place your thighs in line with the floor. Then, bring your arms on top of your head, which lengthens through the spine. Remain in the same position and take ten (10) deep breaths. 

4. Warrior II 

Start with a mountain pose, then bring your posture to a widened position, so that your feet are placed three and a half (3 ½) to four (4) feet apart. Upon bending the knees, you may be required to adjust this a little. Bring your arms to a position in line with the floor. Then, bring your right foot towards the right wall and bring your left foot lightly to the other side to add extra stability. After, bend your right knee, which allows your thigh to be in line with the ground. Maintain the torso to a position that is pointed straight ahead and, then, turn your head to overlook on the other side of your right hand. Keep stance for ten (10) deep breaths and repeat on the left side. 

5. Triangle 

Start with a Warrior II position, but instead straighten both legs. Bring your arms in a position in line with the floor. Then, bring your upper body out to your right and place your torso to the right. This time, bring your left arm to a position up in the air and stretch the right arm towards the ground. When you may need support, you can hold on to your foot, calf, thigh and ankle using your right hand. Bring your head to a position looking up at your left hand and take deep breaths. Do this for ten (10) breaths and repeat again on the left side. 

6. Downward Dog 

Bring your hands and palms flat on the floor while bending one knee. Bend your toes under, so they are in feeling on the floor, then bring up your palms and the balls of your feet. Then, stretch your legs and bring your butt up higher. You may desire to do these on your back flat and straighten the legs, but your feet will probably not be flat on the floor. Maintain your neck neutral and take deep breaths for about thirty (30) seconds. 

7. Yoga Lunge 

Start with a downward dog pose and bring your right foot forward, while bringing it flat on the floor between your hands. Bend your back a little and then look upwards, while keeping your palms on the ground. Maintain this pose for ten (10) deep breaths, then push back into downward dog to alternate sides. Do this again on the left side of the body. 

8. Pigeon (Or Half Pigeon) 

For this yoga position, bring back your body to a hands and knees position, then bring your right foot forward, so that the knees is positioned between your hands. Bring the left leg back on the floor slowly until in a straight position. Do this without straining your groin. Then, slightly bend your back and look up while taking ten (10) deep breaths. Let go of your spine and bring your head lower to the floor. When seeking for more support, you may place your head in a resting position on the hands or even stack your fists and place your head there. It all varies on how flexible your legs and spine are. Do this for ten (10) breaths. Repeat for the left side. 

And if you want recipes and meal plan for yoga, you can check recipe websites that can help you in finding the right diet and meal plan for you while practicing yoga. 

How To Relax Tense Muscles

Do you feel body aches and chronic muscle pain? Are you in need of ways to relax your muscles? Look no further. Some studies have linked muscle pain in the upper extremities and low back to stress. 

It’s time to relax a bit. Don’t fret if you don’t know where to start. We’ll walk you through the process. 

In this guide, you’ll learn how to relax tense muscles and the many ways to do it. Read on to learn how to relax tight muscle: 

1. Why You Have Tense Muscles 

Before we talk about how to relax muscles, let’s discuss why our muscles stiffen or become tense. What causes it? Is muscle tension a symptom of a bigger health issue? 

Muscle tension is one of the body’s physical responses to stress like anxiety and depression. The human body thinks of it as a way to protect itself from injury. This doesn’t limit itself to only psychological, mental, or emotional stress, however. 

Physiological stress from overexercising or exercising with poor techniques also causes muscle tension. When you overuse your muscles, even when you’re not exercising, the body will protect it by keeping it tense. Poor posture also contributes to the tension in your muscles. 

Severe muscle tension may come from performing work activities using poor techniques. For example, you may be carrying heavy loads the wrong way, which causes stress to your muscles. Some mechanical factors like having one longer leg also affect muscle tension. 

2. Relaxing Tense Muscles With Heat 

One of the best ways to ease body aches and muscle pain is to use heat. Applying heat to stiff muscles helps dilate blood vessels and promote blood flow. If you have muscle tension from exercising, heat reduces the lactic acid buildup in them. 

You can take an electric heating blanket to help soothe the tension and pain in your muscles. If you don’t have an electric heating blanket, you can buy heat pads or heat plasters for muscles instead. You can find these in gym equipment stores. 

Another relaxing thing you can do is to go to a sauna or steam room. Sit in the heat for 10-15 minutes and then start stretching your muscles after. If you don’t have the time to go to a sauna, but you have a bathtub, buy Epsom salt. 

Prepare a tub of warm water, add 1 cup (240 ml) of Epsom salt, and wait for it to dissolve before you soak. Sit in the tub and let your skin absorb the salt and replenish your body. Afterward, rinse your body with clean water. 

Note that some people experience irritation around their genital area from Epsom salts. When you experience this, wash the area well with mild soap and warm water. Avoid using Epsom salts and instead opt for hot showers to relax stiff muscles. 

3. Learn Progressive Muscle Relaxation 

One of the best and most effective ways of relaxing your muscles is using progressive muscle relaxation. It focuses on specific muscle groups and is best for self-relaxation techniques. For first-timers, you can do this with audio guides. 

Exercise For Progressive Muscle Relaxation 

Do you often spend your day at work typing away in front of a computer? Help avoid carpal tunnel syndrome by releasing some of the muscle tension in your wrist. You can do exercise this every for a short time every few hours to help relax your wrist muscles. 

This first exercise is simple, fast, and suitable for any position or place. This is the clenched fist muscle relaxation exercise. First, make a tight fist with your right hand while you flex it upward right at your wrist. 

Keep a tight hold on the clench for 8-10 seconds and then relax. Release until your hand becomes limp. Repeat the exercise a few more times, and your right hand will be more relaxed afterward. 

You can stop with your hands and get right to work. If you want to continue, move up to the forearms, upper arms, shoulders, chest, and so on. Hold and flex the muscles in each body part the same way you did with your wrists. 

Once you finish and reach your feet, you can pause and take up to 15 minutes to relax some more. Let the feeling spread throughout your body and enjoy it. After that, you can go back to your daily activities feeling invigorated and comfortable. 

Tips For Practicing PMR 

Now that you know how to relax your muscles, you may wish to improve your technique. 

The first one is to keep practicing. Take two sessions daily, each going for 5-15 minutes, for practice. The more you practice, the better you’re going to get at it. 

You can practice before you go to bed, but don’t practice on your bed. Remember, your goal is to get your body to relax via PMR, not to fall asleep. You can then rest assured that falling asleep will be easier after you complete your PMR exercises. 

Rearrange the order if you feel that it’ll work best for you. If you find it easier to relax starting from the top of your head going down to your feet, start from there. 

4. Use Muscle Therapy Services 

Relaxing tense muscles in hard to reach places is not easy. The good news is that professional muscle therapy services are there to help. You have a ton of choices from chiropractors to acupuncture, to acupressure therapy. 

One of the best picks is myofascial release therapy. It is an effective hands-on treatment that uses gentle, sustained pressure. It focuses on relaxing the fascia (connective tissues) via customized pressure and stretching. 

5. Learn How To Relax Tense Muscles By Getting Enough Rest 

Some final yet effective ways to relax your muscles is to live healthier. You can learn how to relax tense muscles by unlearning unhealthy habits. That includes fixing your sleep schedule if you often lack sleep. 

Adults’ muscles need at least 7 hours of restful sleep to relax and heal. If you exercise or go to the gym, this lengthy rest becomes even more important. If you find it difficult to go to sleep, do some stretching and breathing exercises before you lie down. 

Relieve Your Muscle Tension And Aches With These Methods 

When you finally get relaxed muscles, it’ll be easy to forget about these methods. Remember to keep practicing the exercises and living a healthy lifestyle. Avoid poor posture and overexerting your body whenever you do heavy exercises. 

Now you know how to relax tense muscles. We hope you enjoyed reading and picked up better health habits along the way. If you want to learn more ways on how to reduce pain in these areas, check out our other guides today.

Keep Your Hip Flexors In Shape, Frugal Style

One of the main aims of frugality when it comes to fitness, should always be prevention. Suffering from injuries because of a lack of preparation not only entail doctors visits and medication; it also wrests from our time - probably the most precious commodity we have. We tend to discuss prevention in the fitness realm by stressing the importance of correct technique, patience when it comes to achieving goals, and the avoidance of overtraining. One area we often tend to ignore, however, are hip flexors - a large muscle group that may not be visible, but which are crucial for strength, mobility, and injury prevention. 

Avoiding Hip Flexor Injury 

The hip flexors are the group of muscles located in the front of the hip. They serve as postural stabilizing support, ensuring the correct alignment of the hips and lower back. If you sit down for over four hours a day, these muscles can shorten, leading to the excessive arching of the lower back or an excessive pelvic tilt - compensatory movements, in turn, lead to pain. Injury can also occur when we take part in heavy workouts without stretching the hip flexor muscles first. 

Because the muscles are so tight, brusque movements can result in muscle tears, which can leave us with a limp for various weeks in the worst case scenario, and at the very least cause inflammation and pain. This type of injury can force us to take a break at a time when we need to be training for a competition or upcoming sports challenge. 

Hip Flexor Stretches 

Stretching your hip flexor muscles regularly will keep painful muscle tears and swelling at bay. The great news for frugal fitness fanatics is that you do not need any special equipment to perform these exercises. 

There are approximately 15 types of hip flexor exercises to choose from, most of which are easy to perform and suitable to all fitness levels. 

Three of the most popular include the Butterfly stretch, which involves sitting with the soles of your feet together, pressed into the body, while your back remains straight. Hold onto your ankles and bring your feet in further - when you feel the burn, maintain the pose for five seconds. 

The Head to Knee Stretch is one you probably have performed many times if you have been to aerobics or dance classes. Just sit down, bend your right knee inwards towards your left thigh, and lunge your body forward, stretching your hands towards your left foot for a few seconds. 

Finally, try the Square Pose - sit ‘Indian style’ on the floor, with both legs as close to your body as possible. Bring your knees closer together without moving your feet; you should feel a delicious stretch throughout your hip area. You can even do most of these exercises in the workplace, but maybe not if you're brand new to the company. You might get a few strange looks.

The hip flexors are an important, frequently ignored muscle group that ensure we can carry out a wide range of movements. Leading a sedentary lifestyle or working out without a prior stretching session can result in painful injuries, which is why spending just a few minutes on hip flexor exercises before every workout, is crucial.

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How To Book Your Massage Therapy Online

It had been three long years since I last had a massage, and I needed one badly. Years of Frugal Workouts, portable personal training adventures, a half dozen moves, and endless computer work have taken a toll on my frugal body. So when I heard about Zeel, I was very happy to learn it was very easy to find affordable and effective massage therapists, among other wellness practitioners, online or by phone. I hate the phone, so obviously I go the online route and BAM I get my epic massage scheduled in 45 seconds. They have great in-home services that I was about to take advantage of but I realized my apartment was a mess and I found a great licensed massage therapist the next town over in West Newton. So later in the week I flew over in the Frugal Mobile (Honda Accord w/ Frugal Fitness Bumper Stickers) to meet with Kate Peck, Licensed Massage Therapist and Certified Athletic Trainer (always a plus, and from my college curriculum I know Athletic Trainers are very knowledgeable people).

SAVE $25 W/ THIS FRUGAL FITNESS DISCOUNT! (CODE: Frugal)

I arrived at the Journey To Health office in West Newton, MA and met with Kate. She was very nice and polite and I filled out my medical info and the chart outlining where I hurt (Can I just circle the whole body? Just kidding, only a few chronic issues and nothing to write home about). Got a great therapeutic massage with some deep tissue, craniosacral, and myofascial work as well. I needed it all. It was incredibly relaxing and healing, just what I needed after some crazy new personal training clients in downtown Boston (and dragging my workout bag on the subway and many blocks). I felt like a million bucks after my session and will definitely be using Zeel.com again in the near future.

Users can book online with in-home massage therapists in the Boston area on Zeel. Outside of Boston, you can browse for in-home massage therapists nationwide.

Kate Peck, my expert Zeel Massage Therapist!
Book Her Today!

Not only can you search by service, location, and price, but you can also get a $25 credit from Zeel.com on your first massage! Now that is an epic Frugal Fitness savings if I do say so myself. Treat yourself today, because massage therapy isn't just a luxury, it's essential body therapy that can help to improve range of motion, reduce injury risk, stimulate the immune system, reduce stress, and coax lean muscle growth. So do it up today, save money, and save hassel with Zeel! Also a great gift idea since the holiday season is coming up pretty soon...

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Importance of Stretching, Sleep, & Recovery

Contributed By Maria Waldron, Author / Owner of A Life To Bragg About

A lot of people tend to emphasize how many days they've worked out that week and for how long. While I can be guilty of this sometimes, I'm aware that stretching and recovery is just as important as working out. By allowing your body to recover, your muscles are given time to repair their fibers, grow and refuel energy storage systems (trying not to get too technical here).  Also, overtraining can actually cause muscle atrophy, fatigue, workout burnout and decreased aerobic performance. You CAN wear your body out and you CAN injure your body in the long run by training too much, too hard and not allowing your body time to heal. 

Another critical thing I try to remember is to STRETCH. Stretching is so important after working out as it helps build long, lean muscle after a particularly tough strength training session. You can decrease lactic acid build up and allow more blood flow to the muscles for optimal growth. And by stretching you increase flexibility which further improves whatever exercise you're trying to excel at. 

One of the best ways I love to stretch? Foam roll! It's like $15.00 massage for the rest of your life (or until your foam roller softens and gets flat lol) but the myofascial release feels pretty dang amazing when your body is sore.

Besides, it just feels so good. Like pleasure pain. Mmm.... 

As for sleep? Sleep is crucial. I can definitely tell with my workouts when I've slept a good 7-8 hours per night versus those nights where I toss and turn and wake up feeling like crap. Even my eating is better when I sleep well. When I don't sleep well, I turn to sugar laden foods or caffeine to keep myself awake and we all know that's just not healthy. Plus, your metabolism slows down when you don't get enough sleep. On TOP of that, when you don't get a good night's sleep you don't produce enough leptin which is the hormone that makes keeps you full. So you end up eating more just to satisfy yourself. What's even worse is that you start to produce the hormone ghrelin instead which makes you hungry.

It's a nasty double edged sword that bites you in the arse. All you have to do is go to bed early to avoid that mess! 

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Running, Physical Therapy, & Yoga

Contributed by Samantha Zeigler, Author of the blog Running and Cupcakes

How’s that for a creative title? I am so glad tomorrow is my rest day, I’m tired!

I told you yesterday that I’d tell you guys about physical therapy so that’s up first. I’m going twice a week for three weeks, for an hour long session. Today was Day 2. They start with ten minutes of heat on my hip and IT Band, which feels oh so nice. I call it nap time, they call it heat therapy. Then the PT (physical therapist for short) does ten minutes of trigger point therapy which hurts. so. good. I’m definitely cringing and making assorted other faces when he does this, because he’s asked me more than once “Does that hurt?” and I say, “Yeah, but it’s okay.” I’m obviously not your typical physical therapy patient.

Then it’s on to the stretching. I get to dive right into a minute per stretch because I’m active, in shape, and flexible – isn’t that wonderful? (cue sarcasm) I’m doing a laying down hamstring stretch with a rope, and because I can bring my leg to a 90 degree angle to my body already, I have to flex the foot toward my head andreally pull. Ah, I love it. Then there’s the laying down IT band stretch (both of these can be found in this Cool Running Article, Stay Loose: Stretches for Runners). That one hurts, my right IT band is all sorts of tight and knotted up. Then there’s the piriformis stretch, which is apparently excellent for people who suffer from sciatica (that’d be me), and is the hardest stretch for me to do. He also had me do some calf and shin stretches on an incline board, and then called me a showoff because apparently I made it look easy. Funny when you are in better shape/can stretch better than your therapist, isn’t it?

Today he also made me foam roll the IT band. And I learned ANOTHER new foam rolling trick. Once you find the trigger point, adhesion, whatever you want to call it (source of utmost freaking pain, or almost crying point, are two terms I prefer) rest on it, but also move around a teeny tiny little bit for 30 seconds to a minute. Um, ouch. I had to take Advil after today’s session. But, I can tell I’m getting much better already. 4 more sessions until my re-evaluation, I’ll keep you posted!

*********************************************************************

Next up, yoga.  Today I did this:

Wicked exciting right? Plus I’m getting better at all the other poses too, like pigeon, and half moon (although I still need a block for this). I’m enjoying learning all of the real yoga terms for these poses too, and I think I’m getting used to the heat because I don’t seem to be sweating as bad.

Yoga makes me happy, and I love doing it before my rest day because once I’m done I feel so refreshed, then the next day I get to rest and enjoy the refresh even more.

I was going to give you guys a recipe tonight too but this is quite long enough! This weekend, I promise!

Have a great night and a happy Friday!

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Importance of Flexibility and Tips to Enhance Flexibility

By FitnessHealthZone.com, Pictures Added by Frugal Fitness

The words that are often bandied about in fitness circles are strength, endurance, speed, stamina, muscularity, aerobic ability, etc. The quality that is also now getting its due importance is flexibility. Flexibility is not just for gymnasts, it is something that we can all benefit from and for a number of different reasons-

·         

      -Flexibility increases the range of motion of the body’s joints, so that one can exercise better and more completely.

·        - Flexibility can help to reduce stiffness and aches and pains in the body. As flexibility increases a person may find that lower back pain and similar problems reduce.

·        - It increases suppleness of the body.

·         -The risk of injury is reduced when the limbs are able to move easily and to the extent of the optimal range of motion.

·        - Flexibility can be of particular importance in later years since it keeps a person more physically able and independent.

       - Flexibility also improves body balance which is important for everyone to decrease the chances of falls and other injuries; but can be doubly important for seniors.

      - It is important to include the element of flexibility in one’s fitness routine since this not only gives a more effective work out, it can also help to counter the ill effects of a sedentary lifestyle that requires a person to sit at a table or desk for long periods of time.

      -For sports people such as gymnasts, athletes and those that play team sport or endurance sport, flexibility has obvious importance – it can help perform better and increases range of motion even helping to increase strength directly or indirectly.

So what can be done to increase flexibility?

·       Stretching exercises should be incorporated into any fitness exercise routine. This is important not just as a warm up or a prelude to your exercises but also in order to increase range of motion and loosen joints and muscles so that they don’t get strained and stressed from the exercise.

Remember to breathe properly while stretching, to get the most out of the movement. Also the stretch should be enough to feel the stretch but should fall short of straining or tearing the muscle. As stretching is done consistently, one may find that what was difficult or impossible to do earlier has now become possible, with improved flexibility.

·         Disciplines such as Yoga, and Tai chi can help a person improve flexibility. The various asanas of yoga require that the body is manipulated into different shapes and positions which will naturally increase flexibility.

      Progress made in yoga, graduating to the more difficult asanas or positions is usually accompanied greater flexibility and balance. Similarly Tai Chi as well can increase flexibility. Since these disciplines do not require very great amounts of exertion and are low impact they are suitable for people of all ages and fitness levels.

·         Pilates is another fitness exercise that increases mind body awareness as well as flexibility.

Being mindful of and improving one's posture can also help.

Guest Author Bio:

This is a guest post by FitnessHealthZone.com, a premier blog on health and fitness. The blog offers expert advice, tips and information on topics such as mens fitness, exercises, diet and nutrition, body building, exercise equipment, healthy living, yoga, vitamins & supplements.

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