Stretching exercise "cobra. Features of the performance and the therapeutic effect of the plow, fish and cobra posture Exercises for the back of the cobra

Traditional exercise for the muscles of the spine - flexion from a prone position or a cobra borrowed from yoga is far from perfect. First, many trainees, especially women, find it difficult to maintain their body weight in this position and therefore cannot concentrate on the exercise.

Second, the length of your arms limits the amount of stretch. Both problems are easily solved if, instead of holding your weight in a push-up position, you place your hands from a prone position on something that is appropriate in height for your level of flexibility, be it a chair, the kitchen table, or your training partner. ...

Exercise technique

The technique for performing this exercise for the spine is simple. Keep your arms and legs straight, stretch your socks and unfold your chest. Stretching your back, strive to achieve the same sensations that you experienced when hanging on the back decompression bar. Don't limit yourself to stretching spinal column, stretch your entire body from your socks to your fingers. This maneuver increases the space between the vertebrae and gives your discs and articular facets more room to act.

Inhale and contract the muscles in your buttocks and abdomen. For the abdominal muscles, this means that they are strained, strengthening the abdomen as if for a punch; when you tighten your abdominal muscles, do not pull in or protrude it.

Exhale and release tension. Your hips will drop to the floor.

Exercise cobra

Improved Cobra is a two-step exercise. The next step is to inhale and wrap an imaginary ball with your spine. Don't just arch your back, you will squeeze your back and for your efforts, you will be more rewarded with injuries than increased flexibility! Unlike inadvertently arching the back, stretching / wrapping the spine of an imaginary ball does not restrict the exercise to the deflection of a pair of vertebrae in the lower back, but extends to the entire length of your back. The result: increased flexibility and less stress on the lower back.

Execution technique

Relax for a few seconds, and then repeat both steps: tension / relaxation of the muscles, followed by stretching / wrapping the spine of an imaginary ball.

It's okay if you feel involuntary. muscle contractions in the back. If you have a feeling of discomfort in the sacrum, then you are doing something wrong or have gone too far. For some trainees, with back problems, excessive stretching of the spine is generally unacceptable.

By the appearance of a person, his demeanor, posture, it is safe to say whether he is sick or not. When the spine is healthy, a person does not feel his body, he walks easily, freely. If the centering is disturbed, all body functions are disturbed: cardiovascular, respiratory, excretory, gastrointestinal. Many people complain of headaches, and in order to alleviate their suffering, they try to drown them with drugs, but to no avail. The reason lies in the fact that as a result of osteochondrosis of the upper cervical vertebrae, the arteries supplying the brain with blood are additionally compressed. By the way, the eyes also suffer from circulatory disorders.

If you set yourself the task of complete recovery of the spine, they will help physical exercises... It is necessary to regularly (at least three times a week) give a varied load to all parts of the spine and strengthen the surrounding tissues and muscles by doing physical exercises, which are described below.

The exercise "Rolls".
Sit on the mat, bring both legs with your knees to your torso. With your hands, grasp your legs tightly at the ankles (press your feet together) and connect the fingers of both hands tightly. Place your chin on your knees. In this case, the back of the head, neck and back will be on the same arc. Lean back sharply on your back and just as abruptly and quickly return to starting position... Breathing is arbitrary. Do the exercise 5 to 10 times, counting rolling back and forth at a time. Exercise promotes the development of flexibility and mobility of the spine, helps in the treatment of rheumatism, diseases of the brain, serves good remedy to strengthen memory. Remember to end all exercises with complete relaxation.

The exercise "Cobra".
Lie facedown on the mat, heels and toes together, feet resting on toes, arms bent at the elbows, palms down at shoulder level, fingers together. The chin rests on the mat.
Leaning on your hands, lift as high as possible upper part torso, without lifting the lower half of the abdomen from the floor to the navel. Tilt your head back as far as possible, look up. Breathing is arbitrary through the nose. Without moving your arms and legs, without lifting your lower abdomen, turn to the left so that you can see the heel of your right leg over your left shoulder. Then slowly return to the starting position and immediately turn to the right to see the heel of the left foot over the right shoulder. Then bend up and back again and lower down. Repeat the exercise, but in a different sequence: up - right - left - up - down.

Perform this exercise smoothly, with a delay in each position for up to 30 seconds. The therapeutic effect of the exercise: the curvature of the spine is corrected, its flexibility is restored, stoop is eliminated, and restored beautiful posture, intestinal peristalsis increases, the work of the entire gastrointestinal tract, motor muscles of the eyes improves. Exercise helps heal sciatica.

The exercise "Onion".
Lying on your stomach, bend your knees, stretch your arms behind your back and grab your ankles, inhale. Then, with a moderately quick movement, lift your head and torso off the floor and at the same time, using your hands, raise your legs as high as possible, tilt your head back. After that, perform 4-5 swinging back and forth while holding your breath and return to the starting position. Exercise strengthens the organs of the digestive system and also eliminates deficiencies in the development of the spine. This exercise develops chest and bust.

The exercise "Triangle".
Stand straight, legs apart 60-90 cm. Hands - to the sides at shoulder level, palms down. Lean slowly to the right so that you feel a strong tension in your left side. Wherein right hand should reach the right foot (legs straight), and the left (straight) be placed horizontally above the head. Hold this pose for 5-7 seconds and then return to the starting position. Make the same tilt to the left. Bend to each side 3-5 times. This exercise develops the flexibility of the spine, strengthens the vertebral muscles, perfectly stretches the lateral surface of the trunk, eliminating stagnation in this area.

The exercise "Gold fish".
Lie on your back on a mat with straight legs extended. The Achilles tendon, lower leg and thigh (especially the popliteal region) are completely flat on the floor. The feet are perpendicular to the leg, the toes are bent towards the face. Previously several times on the count of "5" stretch in different directions with arms extended and thrown back, heels - forward: then left, then right. Place your palms under the cervical vertebrae, press your elbows to the floor, connect your legs, and point your toes towards your face. In this position, vibrate left and right, vibrating with your whole body (like a fish moving in water). When the feet move to the right, the head moves to the left. This exercise should be done for 1-2 minutes every morning and every evening. Exercise helps to correct the incorrect position of individual vertebrae and thereby eliminates the curvature of the spine, helps to heal scoliosis, normalizes the blood circulation process, and activates intestinal motility.

Make circular motions shoulders. Hands - to the shoulders, elbows bent to the sides, parallel to the floor. Describe large circles with your elbows: inhaling forward and upward, exhaling backward and downward. Repeat in the opposite direction.

The exercise "Vibration".
You need to lift your heels 1 cm off the floor and lower them sharply to the floor - this results in blows and shaking of the whole body. This exercise should be done slowly, no more than once a second. After 30 concussions, take a break for 5-20 seconds, and then another 30 concussions. Above 1 cm, the heels should not be raised, so as not to damage the venous valves. The lips are tightly compressed. When performing this exercise, cells are effectively cleaned from toxins, intervertebral discs are worked out, and thrombophlebitis is prevented. During vibro-gymnastics, thanks to the valves in the veins, the blood receives an additional impulse to move upward.

Appearance human, his gait, manner of movement can say a lot about health... When the spine is healthy, a person walks easily, freely, does not feel his body. If the centering is disturbed, then this is reflected in other functions of the body: the respiratory and cardiovascular, digestive, and excretory systems suffer. Many people suffer from headaches, they drink drugs to no avail, and the reason often lies in osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, when the arteries of the cervical vertebrae are additionally pinched and the brain is less supplied with blood. By the way, vision also suffers from circulatory disorders.

I would like to introduce you the 5 most useful exercises for the spine, regularly performing which you can work out and train all parts of the spine - cervical, thoracic, and lumbar in a variety of ways - strengthen the ligaments and muscles that support it. As a result, posture will improve, internal organs will become stronger, and you will begin to breathe correctly. In order for the process of healing the spine, all its departments to take place, it is necessary to do these 5 exercises regularly - every day or at least every other day. The surface of the floor should be flat and firm, for exercise you will need a rug, a thin mattress or a terry towel.

1 Exercise. Rolls.

I. p. - while sitting on the floor, pull your legs to your body, your feet should be pressed together. Clasp your legs in the ankle area with your hands, the chin is pressed to the knees. In this position, the back of the head, neck and back form one arc. Roll back onto your back and return to the starting position. Perform rolls on your back 10 to 20 times, while breathing is arbitrary. Important: you need to perform rolls only on a flat floor so as not to displace the vertebrae.

Effect: This is a very beneficial exercise for the spine - it strengthens the spine and develops flexibility, and thus helps in the treatment of diseases such as rheumatism, diseases of the brain, and in addition, exercise strengthens memory.

Relax a little after exercise and move on to the next one.

2 Exercise. Cobra.

I. p. - lying on your stomach, face down, heels and toes are connected, chin rests on the mat.
Put your hands on the floor and lift your upper body as high as possible, while the lower half of the abdomen does not come off to the navel. Throw your head back as far as you can, your eyes look up. You need to breathe through the nose, arbitrarily, then slowly return to the starting position. Repeat the exercise 5-10 times.

For those who can already easily do this exercise, its more difficult version:

Follow all the movements as described above - bend up and back, and then turn your head over your right shoulder so that you can see the heel of your left foot. It is important that the arms and legs remain in place and that the lower abdomen does not come off. Slowly turn your head forward and do the same, but turning your head over your left shoulder to see the heel of your right foot. Then bend up again, slowly throw your head back and return to the starting position, lower yourself down. Repeat the exercise, but already observing a different sequence of movements - up, left, right, up, down.

It is important when performing this exercise to make smooth movements, to linger in each position for half a minute, for this you can slowly count to yourself up to 30.

Effect: the spine becomes more flexible, stoop and other curvatures of the spine are removed, a beautiful posture appears, the work of the entire digestive tract improves, in particular, intestinal motility increases, and this good gymnastics for eyes. Sciatica can be cured with this exercise.

3. Exercise. Triangle.

I. p. - while standing on the floor, spread your legs wide enough, the distance between your legs is about a meter. Spread your arms to the sides, palms down. Lean slowly to the left until you feel tension in your right side. Strive to reach your left foot with your left hand, your right hand is stretched horizontally above your head, do not bend your legs! Hold this position for 5-8 seconds, and then return to the starting position. Do the same in the other direction - to the right. Perform 3-5 bends to each side.

For the more advanced, it is a complicated, but very useful option for the spine, since it strengthens lumbar and thus heals sciatica:

Take the same starting position as described above. Slowly bend downward while pivoting at the lower back, while the right hand moves towards right leg until he touches her, left hand raised up. The gaze is directed to the fingertips of the hand raised vertically upward. It is important to keep your legs and back straight during exercise! Hold this pose for 5 seconds and return to the starting position.

Repeat the bends in both directions at least 3 times.

As you can see, in this exercise in the lumbar spine, not only stretching occurs, but also twisting, the vertebrae move more and this contributes to relaxation intervertebral discs... The lumbar region is better developed and at the same time strengthened.

Effect: Exercise strengthens the muscles that support the spine, develops its flexibility, in the first version, the lateral surfaces of the body are stretched, which is beneficial for the waist, and in the second version, the lumbar spine is well developed and strengthened.

4 Exercise. Onion.

I. p. - lying on your stomach, legs bent at the knees, stretch your arms, put them behind your back and grab your ankles - inhale. Then, at the same time, slowly raise your head, legs, torso as high as possible from the floor, throw your head back while holding your breath. Return to the starting position - exhale.

This exercise also has a second option, for the advanced, it is more difficult, but over time, you can also do it:

Perform all the movements as described in the exercise above and then, holding your breath, do 4-5 swinging back and forth, return to the starting position, relax.

Effect: exercise strengthens gastrointestinal tract, forms a beautiful bust in women and strengthens the chest, and most importantly, it eliminates all deficiencies in the development of the spine.

5. Exercise. Fish.

The exercise consists of two parts - the first is aimed at stretching the spine, and the second part consists of vibro-gymnastics for the spine, as a result of which the intervertebral discs are worked out, the cells are cleared of toxins, and blood circulation is normalized.

I. p. - lying on your back, arms outstretched upward are behind your head, legs are straightened forward, socks are pulled over yourself. Begin to stretch your legs alternately, slightly moving your heels forward - then the left, then the right, slowly counting to yourself to 5. Do some of these nice, sipping movements. Then put your hands behind your head, under your neck, your elbows lie on the floor, put your legs together, pull your socks over yourself. Begin to swing to the right and to the left in this position, like a fish in water. This exercise is useful for 2-3 minutes in the morning and evening.

Effect: the exercise promotes the formation of individual vertebrae in their places, eliminates scoliosis and other curvature of the spine, enhances intestinal motility, and normalizes blood circulation.

You can include these exercises in your complex morning exercises... Regularly performing these exercises to strengthen the spine, after a couple of weeks you will feel that its condition will significantly improve, the pain will disappear, it will become easier for you to bend and unbend when bending. In addition, you will acquire correct posture and breathing, you will become more resilient.

Don't try to do the recommended number of repetitions right away, start small - 2-3 repetitions of each exercise. Remember that all movements must be performed at a slow pace, fixing and holding in each position (start at 5 seconds and work up to 30 seconds) in order to make the muscles stronger and stronger, able to better support the spine. If your muscles are sore the next day and fatigue appears, then reduce the number of repetitions, but do not stop doing the exercises. After a few sessions, muscle pain will go away as you become more trained.

Only daily work aimed at working out the main parts of the spine will help you cope with sciatica, cervical osteochondrosis, and other problems of the spine. Remember to devote at least half an hour a day to keep your spine in good condition. After all, a beautiful posture, a flying gait, the state of all depend on his health internal organs and systems in the human body.

Hello dear readers, I am very glad to meet you again. Today we will get acquainted with one of the main asanas in hatha yoga. It is called "Pose of the Cobra" or "Bhujangasana". You will learn how to correctly perform the asana, how it affects the body, who are not recommended to perform this pose, how beginners should perform this position.

This asana got its name partly because, when performed, it repeats the plasticity of the cobra stand with an open hood, and partly because in Hinduism and Buddhism, the cobra is a sacred animal. This snake in its stance simultaneously evokes admiration and fear, is a symbol of wisdom and power, beauty and grace. By repeating the movements of a cobra, a person acquires her calmness, strength and energy.

How to enter the asana?

We start with maximum relaxation lying on the stomach. The forehead touches the floor, the legs are together, the toes are pulled back, the arms lie along the body. After complete relaxation for 30-40 seconds. We start a smooth movement:

we place the palms of the hands at shoulder level, the elbows are bent and touch the body;
while inhaling, we begin to slowly raise our head, sliding our chin along the floor and pulling our head forward and up. At the same time, we feel how the muscles of the neck are straining and the spine begins to bend;
the next step is to raise our shoulders and continue bending the spine in the thoracic region. This is achieved through the work of the back muscles. The arms remain relaxed. It is important to mentally monitor how each vertebra gradually flexes;
we complete the exercise with the help of the hands, bending the lumbar spine. It is important that the lower abdomen does not come off the floor;
having reached the limit, we hold the maximum position reached in dynamics to discomfort. For beginners, this is 5-10 seconds. Gradually, the static stage can be increased up to 1 minute. We concentrate as much as possible on the spine and kidneys.

Exiting the exercise

We leave the asana in reverse order gradually relaxing your back muscles. The chin and head are the last to drop to the floor. Friends, it must be remembered that there should be no pain during the asana! Repeat the exercise 3 times.

Breath

We begin the movement while inhaling. On exhalation, we return to the starting position. We repeat the movement several times. You can linger on the static part of the posture, breathe freely, after 5-10 breathing cycles on exhalation, return to the starting position.

Features of exercise technique

it is important to methodically focus on the deflection of the vertebrae during entry and exit from the exercise. This creates a powerful health-improving effect and allows you to evenly distribute energy in the body;
the load must be distributed symmetrically;
when entering the asana, the tips of the fingers should be at shoulder level. Arms extended forward straighten early and prevent full bending;
not allowed, jerks during entry;
the main deflection is performed in the thoracic region, the deflection in the lumbar region should be lighter. In this case, the shoulders are pulled back and down, the arms are slightly bent at the elbows and touch the body.

Asana modifications

A lighter type of exercise can be performed. It is called "ardha bhujangasana" (half). In this case, the hands remain on the floor. The position of the torso resembles that of the sphinx. This option is recommended for retirees, people with health problems and beginners, and is even suitable for performing with a stooped back. we have covered in blog articles.

The more difficult variant is called "tiryaka". At the same time, in the final phase of the snake pose, a pause is made on inhalation, the shoulders and head are smoothly turned to the left, the eyes are looking at the right kidney, exhalation is relaxation, inhalation, pause, turn to the right, we are looking at the left kidney. This performance of the asana has a therapeutic effect on the body. At the same time, we focus on the body whose work we want to improve.

You can perform the exercise by alternately crossing your legs, first the right foot on top, then the left, This creates an additional twist of the spine. This variation is useful for people with scoliosis.
Highly flexible people can perform the full snake pose. In this case, in the static phase of the movement, we touch the head thrown back with the tips of the toes.

The value of exercise for the body

When performing the asana, we fix our attention as much as possible on the thyroid gland, then on the spine and kidneys. Bhujangasana has a beneficial effect on the entire body:

restores energy;
helps with problems with the spine (stoop, osteochondrosis, sciatica, back pain);
relieves nervous tension, improves mood;
strengthens the muscles of the back and abdomen;
restores hormones;
supports kidney function, prevents the formation of stones;
bhujangasana helps to normalize the genitourinary system and women and men.

Contraindications

We remember the main rule of any technique - do no harm! Bhujangasana is contraindicated in pregnancy and should not be performed during menstruation, stomach ulcers, and thyroid tumors.

Why is it one of the main yoga exercises

In this article, you have received a complete description of how to properly perform this asana. In conclusion, I want to once again draw your attention to the fact that this exercise is considered one of the main ones. Why is this so? The fact is that when performing this exercise, the adrenal glands are actively stimulated. At the same time, the synthesis of the stress hormone (cortisol) decreases, and the synthesis of testosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone increases. This is a scientifically proven fact.

What does it mean for you and me? We all want to be active, strong, able-bodied, not to fall into melancholy, but rather to be temperamental and, finally, to stay young as long as possible. Testosterone and dehydroepianrosterone are responsible for all these qualities.

The systematic practice of this exercise brings many benefits, makes a person more cheerful, more self-confident, relieves complexes. It is very important to practice this exercise before responsible competitions, exams, and other significant events in life.

This is where we end our conversation today. Always happy to receive feedback. Questions can be asked here. Don't forget to subscribe to blog updates. I hope you liked the article and share it with your friends. Bye, until new interesting meetings.

The five most beneficial exercises for strengthening your spine.

Exercises to strengthen the spine. The appearance of a person, his gait, manner of movement can say a lot about health. When the spine is healthy, a person walks easily, freely, does not feel his body. If the centering is disturbed, then this is reflected in other functions of the body: the respiratory and cardiovascular, digestive, and excretory systems suffer.

Many people suffer from headaches, they drink medications to no avail, and the reason often lies in osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, when the arteries of the cervical vertebrae are additionally compressed and the brain is less supplied with blood. By the way, vision also suffers from circulatory disorders.

Your Izyuminka has already written how you can carry out facilitating gymnastics in the workplace in order to relieve tension in the cervical spine, for those who, by the nature of their work, have to sit at a desk and a computer for a long time: Facilitating Workplace Gymnastics .

From sedentary work suffers not only cervical spine spine, but also lumbar, as a result, even radiculitis may worsen. Gymnastics against sciatica, which helps to strengthen the lumbar spine, you can watch An effective complex for radiculitis .

Only physical exercise will help strengthen and improve the health of the spine as a whole. When the vertebrae are normally stretched, the nerve endings are not compressed, the passage of nerve impulses to various organs, tissue nutrition improves. Performing these exercises lengthens the spine and strengthens the muscles that support it in a stretched state. No wonder they say: lengthen the spine - lengthen youth. In this article, Your Zest wants to present 5 of the most useful exercises for the spine, regularly performing which you can work out and train all parts of the spine in a variety of ways - cervical, thoracic, and lumbar, strengthen the ligaments and muscles that support it. As a result, posture will improve, internal organs will become stronger, and you will begin to breathe correctly. In order for the process of healing the spine, all its departments to take place, it is necessary to do these 5 exercises regularly - every day or at least every other day. The surface of the floor should be flat and firm, for exercise you will need a rug, a thin mattress or a terry towel.

1 Exercise. Rolls

I. p. - sitting on the floor,

Pull your legs to your body, your feet should be pressed together. Clasp your legs in the ankle area with your hands, the chin is pressed to the knees. In this position, the back of the head, neck and back form one arc. Roll back onto your back and return to the starting position. Perform rolls on your back 10 to 20 times, while breathing is arbitrary. Important: you need to perform rolls only on a flat floor so as not to displace the vertebrae.

the effect: This is a very beneficial exercise for the spine - it strengthens the spine and develops flexibility, and thus helps in the treatment of diseases such as rheumatism, diseases of the brain, and in addition exercise strengthens memory .

Relax a little after exercise and move on to the next one.

2 Exercise. Cobra

I. p. - lying on your stomach,

face down, heels and toes are connected, chin rests on the mat.

Put your hands on the floor and lift your upper body as high as possible, while the lower half of the abdomen does not come off to the navel. Throw your head back as far as you can, your eyes look up. You need to breathe through the nose, arbitrarily, then slowly return to the starting position. Repeat the exercise 5-10 times.

For those who can already easily do this exercise, its more difficult version:

It is important when performing this exercise to make smooth movements, to linger in each position for half a minute, for this you can slowly count to yourself up to 30.

The effect: the spine becomes more flexible, stoop and other curvatures of the spine are removed, a beautiful posture appears, the work of the entire digestive tract improves, in particular, intestinal motility increases, and it is also good gymnastics for the eyes. Sciatica can be cured with this exercise.

3. Exercise. Triangle

For the more advanced, it is a complicated, but very useful option for the spine, since it strengthens the lumbar region and thereby treats sciatica:

Take the same starting position as described above.

Slowly bend down, while pivoting at the lower back, while the right hand moves towards the right leg until it touches it, the left hand is raised up. The gaze is directed to the fingertips of the hand raised vertically upward. It is important to keep your legs and back straight during exercise! Hold this pose for 5 seconds and return to the starting position.

Repeat the bends in both directions at least 3 times.

As you can see, in this exercise in the lumbar spine, it is not only stretched, but also twisted, the vertebrae move more and this helps to relax the intervertebral discs. The lumbar region is better developed and at the same time strengthened.

the effect: Exercise strengthens the muscles that support the spine, develops its flexibility, in the first version, the lateral surfaces of the body are stretched, which is beneficial for the waist, and in the second version, the lumbar spine is well developed and strengthened.

4 Exercise. Onion

I. p. - lying on your stomach,

legs bent at the knees, stretch your arms, wrap them behind your back and grab your ankles - inhale. Then, at the same time, slowly raise your head, legs, torso as high as possible from the floor, throw your head back while holding your breath. Return to the starting position - exhale.

This exercise also has a second option, for the advanced, it is more difficult, but over time, you can also do it:

Perform all the movements as described in the exercise above and then, holding your breath, do 4-5 swinging back and forth, return to the starting position, relax.

The effect: exercise strengthens the gastrointestinal tract, forms a beautiful bust in women and strengthens the chest, and most importantly, it eliminates all deficiencies in the development of the spine.

5. Exercise. Small fish

I. p. -Lying on your back, your arms outstretched upwards lie behind your head, your legs are straightened forward, your socks are pulled over yourself. Begin to stretch your legs alternately, slightly moving your heels forward - then the left, then the right, slowly counting to yourself to 5.

Do some of these nice, sipping movements. Then put your hands behind your head, under your neck, your elbows lie on the floor, put your legs together, pull your socks over yourself. Begin to swing to the right and to the left in this position, like a fish in water. This exercise is useful for 2-3 minutes in the morning and evening.

The effect: exercise promotes the formation of individual vertebrae in their places, eliminates scoliosis and other curvature of the spine, enhances intestinal motility, and normalizes blood circulation.

You can incorporate these exercises into your morning exercise routine. Regularly performing these exercises to strengthen the spine, after a couple of weeks you will feel that its condition will significantly improve, the pain will disappear, it will become easier for you to bend and unbend when bending. In addition, you will acquire the correct posture and breathing, and become more resilient.

Only daily work aimed at working out the main parts of the spine will help you cope with sciatica, cervical osteochondrosis, and other problems of the spine. Remember to devote at least half an hour a day to keep your spine in good condition. After all, a beautiful posture, a flying gait, the state of all internal organs and systems in the human body depend on his health.