Rethinking yoga postures to reduce the burden on the lumbar spine, beginners should start with lying down

When practicing yoga, lying down is the easiest and safest way to get started, because it can reduce the burden on the spine and increase the area of ​​the body in contact with the floor (more fulcrums), thereby reducing falls, sprains, and injuries caused by unstable center of gravity due to muscle weakness, and allows the body to practice on a stable foundation. After your core muscles are well trained and your body coordination is developed, you can slowly sit up, and then move to sitting, kneeling, lying down, and standing in sequence, gradually reducing the area of ​​your body contacting the floor and increasing the challenge of the movements.

The burden on the lumbar spine is greater than you think

It may seem easy for the human body to sit on a chair, but according to scientific research, the pressure on the lumbar spine is 1.5 times that of when standing. That is to say, unless the body lies flat, the lumbar spine is squeezed by the weight of the upper body all day long, with almost no time to breathe. Therefore, the guiding technique guides beginners to start practicing in a lying position in order to increase the area of ​​contact between the body and the floor and reduce the burden on the lumbar spine.

At the same time, the lumbar spine is also the part most prone to sports injuries. The core muscles of modern people are generally weak and powerless. If the lumbar spine is not protected, it will be injured with a slightly larger movement. In mild cases, it may cause muscle and ligament contusion (commonly known as a sprained waist), and in severe cases, it may cause lumbar slippage. Therefore, lying flat on the ground can not only soothe the fragile and tired lumbar spine, but more importantly, it can exercise the core muscles. The core muscles are strong and powerful, firm and not loose, and the spine seems to be wearing a natural protective suit, naturally straight and upright, and not easy to be injured.

In addition to safety considerations, lying flat on the back for exercise is also the easiest, most stable, and least labor-intensive way. I would like to remind the baby boomers who created the economic miracle with their drive that relaxation is the fundamental spirit of this practice. Never practice yoga with brute force, because the harder you exert, the tighter your body will be. When the body is tense, blood circulation will deteriorate, and metabolites such as lactic acid will not be broken down, so the effects of stretching and repair will be greatly reduced. So when practicing, please let go of unnecessary force. The looser your body is, the better the results will be.

This article is from the book "The Guide to Yoga for Beginners" published by Dajia Publishing