5 yoga poses to help prevent winter diseases

In winter, you constantly have to fight cold symptoms, sneezing, runny nose, cough... These signs also warn of a weakened immune system.

Studies have shown that moderate exercise of 45 minutes a day with the yoga poses below can help you increase your body's resistance, improve immune function, and prevent colds.

1. Child's Pose

As you breathe deeply into your belly in Child’s Pose, your central nervous system and adrenal glands are calmed. This simple restorative pose helps reset your entire body, allowing it to relax and function at its highest potential.

Perform:

Kneel on the mat with your knees hip-width apart and your big toes touching behind you.

Take a deep breath in and as you slowly exhale lower your torso down towards your thighs. Try to lengthen your neck and spine by extending your ribs further away from your tailbone and reaching the crown of your head away from your shoulders.

Stretch both arms out completely in front of you.

Hold the pose for 5 breaths or longer if possible.

2. “Wide-Legged Forward Bend” Pose

This pose is incredibly liberating for the entire body. In fact, whenever you practice it (with your head lower than your heart), you are helping your lymphatic system clear toxins from your body, thereby boosting your ability to fight infections.

Perform:

First, stand with your feet about 4-5 feet apart, heels turned slightly outwards over your toes. Stand up straight with your hands clasped behind you, wrists pressed together.

Take a deep breath and slowly bend your torso forward, lowering your arms as low as possible (as shown). Keep your spine long and straight as you inhale and exhale for 5 deep breaths. Stand firm and slowly lift yourself back up.

3. “Leaning to one side” pose

This move works to flush out toxins from the internal organs and gives the body a strong, energetic start.

Perform:

Stand with your feet together, bend your knees and hold a squat position. Wrap your right elbow over your left thigh so that your right palm is flat on the mat next to your left foot. If you can’t reach the floor, let your fingers hang in the air, trying to get as close to the floor as possible.

Reach your left arm up toward the ceiling, keeping your shoulders aligned and your gaze on your hand overhead. Make sure your knees remain parallel. Hold for 5 deep breaths.

Shift your weight down to your feet, inhale as you return to the starting position and exhale to repeat this movement on the right side, hold for 5 breaths.

4. Three-legged Dog Pose

This pose challenges your strength and is also extremely effective in promoting blood circulation to parts of the body all over.

Perform:

Stand in a starting position with your hands and knees shoulder-width apart and your knees straight out to your sides. Tuck your toes in and straighten your legs.

Keeping your shoulders parallel to the floor, push your feet together and lift your right leg. After 5 deep breaths, lower your leg back to the starting position and repeat with your left leg.

5. Bow Pose"

This pose will help your digestive system become strong and healthy by increasing the flow of oxygen-rich blood to these organs. If you have pain in your pelvic area or your digestion needs improvement, opt for this pose as soon as possible.

Perform:

Lie face down on the mat, bend your knees and grasp the outer edge of your right ankle with your hands, then your left. Once you have a firm grip on each ankle, flex both feet and pull them away from your body to increase the stretch in your chest and shoulders.

Raise your legs as high as possible and shift your body weight forward, so that you can rest on your belly button instead of your pubic bone.

Hold the pose for 5 deep breaths and then slowly release.

According to Suckhoedoisong