For the ultimate work from home fitness, yoga is all you need! Read on to know more about the different yoga exercises and their benefits!

Needless to say, 2020 has been a life-changing year for most of us. Things we could not have imagined have become the new normal. It is very likely that the world as we know it, has completely changed.

Perhaps the biggest shift we have all seen is in the way we work. From swanky offices, our base has shifted home. Rushing to work early in the morning, getting stuck in seemingly endless traffic jams, has been replaced with waking up a couple of minutes before a scheduled meeting (ah, those precious extra minutes of sleep!) on video-conferencing apps, logging off at the end of the day only to hit your oh so comfortable bed and not the road)!

This ‘new’ normal is going to stay for a while. Over the last couple of months, companies like Google, Twitter, and the likes have all declared that their employees will work from home, not only during this pandemic, but will continue to do so once it all subsides. While working from home was on all our wish lists for quite a while, there is no denying that it gets tiring sometimes, sitting in one place, staring at the screen for hours on end.

If you are feeling tired or restless during long hours of work from home, worry not! We are here to help you out. Here are some tips and tricks you can follow to remain active and healthy during the day as you work from home:

Physical Fitness – YOGA

Yoga is considered to be the healthiest form of exercise not only for your body, but also your mind and soul. Hardly using any equipment, it gives maximum benefit to those who practice yoga regularly. When you are working from home, fitness in the form of yoga will definitely play a key role in keeping you calm and focused while taking care of your overall health.

What Yoga exercise can I do working from home?

There are various yoga poses that can help you alleviate stress and help you stay calm, strengthen your focus and keep you fit. Here are some of the poses we have been practising:

SURYA NAMASKAR

Surya Namaskar or Sun Salutation, as the name suggests means to bow to the sun. It is the first exercise done by every yoga practitioner. It is said that Surya Namaskar may be the most effective type of yoga. It utilises all the muscles in your body and leaves you feeling completely relaxed. To get the best out of this full body workout, one must do 12 sets of Surya Namaskars everyday. If you are a total beginner, start with 2-3 rounds and keep building on it. Here is a visual guide to help you master the Surya Namaskar.

If you are interested in more in-depth info about Surya Namaskar, check out our SURYA NAMASKAR: STEPS AND BENEFITS blog.

Surya Namaskar is not just about postures but also about the breathing exercises. So don’t get too focused on your posture that you forget to breathe! Deep breathing helps you regulate your mind and energy, which in turn helps with yoga. All you gotta do is Inhale and Exhale and you will start feeling calmer after every pose.

Once you get comfortable with Surya Namaskar, and want to build up on your core and tone your muscles, then you might want to try out some extreme yoga poses. There is a good following on Instagram (#yogalife) for this so go ahead and share your yoga journey to WOW your friends and family (be sure to tag us as a source of inspiration)!

Here are some of the advanced level yoga poses:

Feathered Peacock Pose

Known as the ‘Pincha Mayurasana’, this pose is excellent in toning your arms, shoulders, and back. In this pose, you take the support of your forearms, while arching your legs like a peacock (this is where the name comes from). It has been known to enhance one’s ability to balance themselves.

Crow Pose

Otherwise known as ‘Bakasana’, this pose strengthens the arms and abs. In this pose, you take the support of your arms and keep the core muscles tight, once ready, you take your feet off the floor. It strengthens arms, wrists, stretches the upper back, strengthens and tones the abdominal muscles.

Scorpion Pose

Also known as ‘Vrishchikasana’, this pose helps with flexibility, upper body and core strength, and balance. This pose is slightly more advanced and it is recommended to attempt this once you have gained considerable core and upper strength. In this pose, you take the help of your arms, and use your core and upper body strength to put your feet up in the air as if a Scorpion ready to strike. It improves the flexibility of the spine and stretches your hip flexors and chest. Considered a difficult pose, once you are able to conquer this, it feels mentally and physically invigorating.

Please note: These poses are advanced level poses so you must attempt this once you have gained upper body and arm strength! Being safe is a priority!

Mental and Spiritual Well Being

Good health is not just about physical fitness but also about mental well-being. While working from home has a lot of perks, social seclusion is one of the biggest drawbacks. In this regard, practicing yoga while working from home is super beneficial. All the deep breathing keeps you calm, focused and in sync with your inner self keeping all the negative energy away.

We feel that some visual cues in the form of posters prove extremely beneficial to put up on the walls of your home office just as a reminder to pause for a bit and take a breather!

So go ahead, try out some yoga at home and let us know if this work from home fitness yoga guide was helpful. Until next time. Om Shanti Om!

P.S.: You can order these posters from our website, and for instant downloads, head over to our Etsy shop!