Kundalini yoga
Kundalini Yoga has strenghthened me up so much that now I have no problem doing 11
minutes of tree pose (a classic hatha pose of balancing on one leg)
for 11 minutes on my weak side in Sahib pranayama kriya! So probably
what did it was the ole classic Nabhi Kriya. Besides getting your core
in shape in a hurry, it strengthens your whole torso (especially the
last exercise- standing bows, my favorite part). Now I have no problem
with plank either. It really puts steel in the support of your whole
body.
Nabhi kriya
Nabhi kriya can be found easily with a web search, but in a nutshell:
1) Lying on back, alternate leg lifts for 10 minutes. Remember to push
the foot on the floor into the floor while the other rises. It makes
it easier, more effective, and the moving leg can rise further.
2) On back, leg lifts with both legs up and down together. You can put
your hands under your hips to help your lower back, but the goal is to
have the arms and hands straight up from the body, above the heart and
parallel with palms facing each other. Inhale up, exhale down. Yoga 5
minutes. When you can do half of that, give yourself a big gold star!
3)Hug your knees to your chest and rest, for 5 minutes.
4)Wrap arms around one knee; do single leg lifts with the other for
one minute. Change sides. Repeat. This adjusts your hips.
5)Stand, feet shoulder width apart, arms overhead. Bend forward to
touch ground, exhaling and pulling locks. Inhale and come back up. 3
minutes. It may be just the ticket for enabling you to stand on one
leg because it does wonders for your torso strength.
When you first do some of these different yoga exercises, like frog,
for instance, or standing on one leg, you try to have one part of you
do all the work, but with experience you come to find that it’s your
whole self that needs to contribute.
Learning Yoga – Exercise Series For The Hips
Perhaps he could do the exercises lying on his bed? A set
like “Exercise series for the hips, thighs and legs”, from Relax and
Renew, might be just the thing for stretching the hips. Yoga Obviously a
firm mattress will facilitate this.
An excellent stretch for knee & hip is the butterfly stretch: soles
of the feet together, clasp hands under the feet and pull them toward
the groin. Yoga Holding this position, pull the spine straight, and move
the knees up and down rhythmically.
The inverted bow (inverted camel lifts) is good for strengthening the
knees and opening up the hips: lie on the back, feet flat on the
floor, hold the ankles and inhale the hips up, exhale them down.
The yoga march might be a good way to start building some strength:
march in place by alternately lifting one knee and the opposite hand,
bringing the knee up as high as possible (comfortable) and lifting
the opposite hand up so the arm is straight.
Frogs and crow squats are also great for strengthening these areas.
The full movements may be too strenuous, but he might be able to
start from the standing position, come halfway down, and then back up.
Of course it would be wise to check out any exercises with his
physician/physical therapist to be sure they are safe for him, and
being gentle and cautious with the exercises is important for all of
us, but no doubt especially important for him.
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