Yoga asanas to open up shoulders: Alia Bhatt’s trainer shares tips

From Butterfly Pose to Arm Rotation, here’s a range of yoga asanas that can help in opening up the shoulders.

With the work from home culture being a part of our lives, we often sit on the couch or a chair for a long time. With the laptop in front of our eyes, we often move a lot less than what our bodies demand. This absence of movement causes a lot of problems in the body. Sitting for prolonged hours in the same position leads to stiffness in the back and the shoulder region. However, yoga can help address this. Health experts keep pressing on the need of incorporating yoga in the daily fitness routine for the multiple health benefits that it brings. Yoga helps in targeting several muscle groups of the body and boosting circulation. It also helps in enhancing stability, flexibility and the posture of the body. Helping in enhancing range of motion, yoga also keeps the body fit.

Yoga asanas to open up shoulders: Alia Bhatt’s trainer shares tips

With prolonged hours of being in the same position, the stiffness in the shoulders can become an issue. Anshuka Parwani, yoga trainer to several Bollywood celebrities such as Alia Bhatt and Kareena Kapoor, shared a few tips to address the same. “Let’s work on opening up those shoulders. We all have felt stiff shoulders after sitting for prolonged hours. It can result in restricted range of motion in the shoulders and back area. But did you know, certain Yoga poses can actually help stretch the shoulder muscles, reduce stiffness and improve flexibility. This will also help to strengthen and release tension from around the shoulder muscles and make them more mobile. Make it a point to practice these regularly and do not wait for muscle stiffness to settle in,” wrote Anshuka as she demonstrated a few yoga asanas:

Cow Face Hands

Wall Shoulder Opener

Arm Rotation

Deep Shoulder Extension Palm Reach

Butterfly Pose

Frog Pose

Cat Cow Pose

Plank Pose

The routine suggested by Anshuka comes with multiple health benefits. Cow Face Hands help in overcoming slouch which happens with prolonged hours of sitting. It also helps in stretching arms and shoulders. Wall Shoulder Opener, on the other hand, helps in reducing stress in the shoulders, while, Arm Rotation helps in toning the muscles and enhancing blood circulation. Butterfly Pose helps in loosening up low back, hips, and inner thighs. Frog Pose helps in improving hip mobility and easing back pain. Incorporating Cat Cow Pose in the daily routine helps in stretching the spine and neck. Planks help in building core strength and correcting posture.