Four yoga poses to prevent neck and back pain

　　Working at a desk for too long will affect your posture. If you sit in front of the computer for a long time without moving, your head will gradually tilt forward. This forward head posture (FHP) will trigger a series of chain reactions from neck muscle tension, increase the pressure on the spine and lumbar intervertebral discs, and cause symptoms such as neck pain, headaches, and dyspnea. In addition, FHP increases the risk of repetitive stress injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome because it worsens the condition of the arm. nerve and vascular pressure.

　　The 4 major postures of yoga:

　　1. Tadasana

　　advantage : Improves posture, tightens the abdomen and buttocks, and relieves sciatica symptoms

　　illustrate : Feet together, big toes touching, heels slightly apart. Feel the pressure points on the soles of your feet, adjust to the feeling of even pressure on the soles of your feet, and use your front thigh muscles to lift your kneecaps up. Let the biceps of the arm rotate outward but the forearm and palm still face each other inward. At the same time, let the upper arm slightly go back. The palm should naturally be a certain distance away from the body, about ten centimeters. Keep your head and spine in a straight line. Relax your facial muscles, look straight ahead, breathe normally, and hold for 15 seconds to 1 minute.

　　2. Downward Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)

　　advantage : Stretches back, shoulders and hamstrings

　　illustrate : Lie on your knees, support your body with open palms, slightly in front of your shoulders. Lift your knees, shift onto your toes, and lift your hip bones. Stretch your hamstrings until your heels touch the ground and breathe at a steady pace for 15 seconds.

　　3. Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana)

　　advantage : Strengthens back and core muscles to help treat various back pains and minor spinal injuries

　　illustrate : Lie face down and lift your head as high as possible, like a cobra. The lower abdomen, pelvis, thighs, and calves are all on the ground. The toes are not on the ground, and the insteps are on the ground. The muscles of the inner thighs are rotated downward. Use both hands to assist balance, with the fingers outward and the elbow fossa forward (usually curved) to lift and extend the sternum. There is basically no force on the shoulders. The strength of the upper back is backward and the sternum is as high as possible. The strength of the entire back is evenly distributed without squeezing the lower back. Maintain the posture for 10 to 20 seconds.

　　If you feel stiffness in your spine or the front of your hip joints, support yourself on your elbows.

　　4. Gomukhasana

　　advantage : Open the shoulders and stretch the pectoralis major muscles

　　illustrate : You can start from any sitting or standing position. The most important thing is to straighten your upper body, adduct and press down your shoulder blades. First, rotate the upper arm of your right hand inwards so that the palm of your hand faces outward and your thumb faces backward. Then bend your right elbow and place your right hand on your back, palm outward and fingers pointing upward. Turn your left shoulder and elbow as far back as possible to open your chest. Externally rotate the upper arm of the left hand so that the thumb faces outward, then raise the arm, flex the elbow, and place the left hand down behind the back with the palm facing the back. The fingers of the right and left hands are intertwined. Don't press your upper hand's elbow on your head to avoid straining your neck. In order not to put pressure on your lower back, you need to tuck your abdomen in slightly, draw your ribs inward, and keep your lower back straight. If your hands cannot touch or hold tightly when doing Cow Face Pose, you should hold a towel or yoga rope instead, and then slowly adjust back to the correct posture. Hold this position for about 15 seconds or more, then repeat on the other side.

　　Things to note about yoga

　　1. Practice on an empty stomach

　　It is advisable to keep an empty stomach 2 to 3 hours before practicing yoga. This can prevent the digestive system from robbing the brain and limbs of blood and nutrients and weakening the effect of yoga postures on the body. It can also avoid discomfort to the stomach and internal organs caused by twisting and flexing of the trunk.

　　2. Breathe through your nose

　　The air is full of dust, viruses, and suspended particles. Breathing through the nose can block pollutants, make the inhaled air warm and moist, reduce irritation to the respiratory tract, and keep the inhaled air hygienic and clean. More importantly, yoga emphasizes the control of breathing. If you cannot use correct breathing, the benefits of the postures will be greatly reduced and the learning progress will be hindered.

　　3. Act within your capabilities

　　Every beginner has different flexibility, endurance, and learning abilities. When practicing yoga, you should learn according to your personal physical ability, within your ability, and follow the guidance of your instructor. Do not be eager to win, overestimate your abilities, blindly imitate instructors or students, and practice difficult yoga movements. This will only increase the chance of injury, create frustration, and ultimately result in more harm than good.

　　4. Drink appropriate amounts of water

　　Yoga postures can help massage abdominal viscera, promote intestinal peristalsis, aid digestion, and prevent constipate , abdominal bloating and other problems. It is advisable to drink an appropriate amount of boiled water half an hour after practice, which will help intestinal peristalsis and speed up the elimination of toxins from the body. At the same time, it can replenish the electrolytes lost during sweating during practice (especially hot yoga) and moisturize the stomach and skin.