Top 6 Reasons Why You Need to Practice Yoga for Winter Season

Winter marks a change in the season and brings a breath of fresh air. However, it is accompanied by:

• viral infections
• joint aches
• body pain
• cough
• cold
• dry skin
• chapped lips

So, it is crucial for you to take care of your body and health during this season. You can try certain recommended poses of yoga for winter to stay in good shape. Studies prove that yoga enhances your muscles, improves your flexibility, promotes heart health and reduces stress, anxiety and depression [1]. Apart from this, you can do yoga for stress relief and enhance your cozy winter sleep!

Here's how you can practice yoga to boost immunity and your overall well-being in the winter months.

Benefits of Practicing Yoga in the Winter

Yoga Keeps You Warm

In the cold climate, you can start your day with a few yoga poses. Doing so will help you keep warm and prevent joint aches. You can begin with sun salutations [2] and continue with the variations of the warrior pose. As winter makes you stiff and sluggish, building heat in your body helps you during the whole day. Doing such poses of yoga for winter season helps in:

• warming up your muscles and joints
• improving blood circulation
• reducing stiffness and cramps

Yoga Helps Boost Immunity

Cold, cough, and viral fever are common in winter. Practicing breathing exercises helps clear any chest congestion and boosts your immunity. One of the best poses of yoga for winter is Surya Bhedana pranayama [3] known as right nostril breathing. Such breathing techniques increase heat in the body and are good for winter. Even the nasal cleaning or Jal Neti [4] technique can help you fight common allergies during this season. Practice yoga at least three times a week for good health.

Yoga Uplifts Your Mood

Doing certain practices of yoga for winter helps reduce the blues that come along with this season. These include breathing exercises and meditation. Both of these can help you feel calm, free of stress, and happy. This is especially important as winter can often make you feel low and lethargic. By practicing yoga and meditation, you can overcome this weariness easily. Sit with your eyes closed for a few minutes after your yoga practice. This will fill you up with positive energy and help you to start your day with a smile.

Yoga Helps Maintain Weight

During winter, you may gain weight as your appetite increases and you may indulge during social events. To keep a check on this, make yoga your priority. You can burn calories by practicing specific poses of yoga for winter that engage your core muscles and hip flexors. These include shoulder stands, boat pose and more.

Yoga Improves Your Sleep Quality

Winter is the time when you feel more cozy than usual and practicing yoga can actually enhance your sleep. Make sure you go to bed at least two hours after your last meal and don’t keep awake till midnight. Doing so will help you wake up feeling refreshed. You can try soothing lavender tea, a chamomile eye pillow, or a glass of filtered water mixed with a teaspoon of magnesium and apple cider vinegar. This will help you get restful sleep and make you feel energized in the morning.

Winter Solstice Yoga

Winter solstice occurs during the end of December and is the shortest day and longest night of the year. It marks the change of seasons and during this time, specific yoga poses are recommended. These help to ground you and prepare your body to welcome the change as well as the new year. Practice poses such as:

• Chair pose
• Plank
• Pigeon pose
• Camel pose
• Bridge pose
• Cat-cow pose
• Eagle pose

Armed with this information, you can practice desk yoga at your work or even do simple breathing exercises for lungs’ health. During winters, keeping track of your health is very important. No matter the symptom, you can book an online appointment with a doctor near you on Bajaj Finserv Health. This way, you can consult specialists to address any health issue with ease. So ensure you do not miss out on yoga and its benefits as you enjoy the winter.