Bending backward is not just about the spine — you must use your arms and legs to support it. As you practice this pose, remember to point your tailbone down toward your heels to keep your lower back safe. A common mistake is to squeeze your buttocks forward, which pinches your lower back.
Kneel on a padded level surface with a yoga block positioned near the outside of each foot. Place your hands on your waist. Draw your tailbone down, and lift your chest and rib cage up.
Inhale as you arch up and back, placing your hands on the yoga blocks. Be sure to maintain the lift of your chest as you draw your tailbone down and deepen your back arch. Stay in this pose for six breaths. Your breathing should remain normal and comfortable. By Karen Voight
Voight is the creator of a line of fitness DVDs, including “Full Body Stretch” and “Ballet BodySculpt.”
Tag Archives: Benefits
Recent Study Shows Molecular Benefits of Massage Therapy Following Exercise (Video)
Do you actually need anymore reasons to book a massage appointment?
A new study published in Science Translational Medicine found that a short, 10-minute Swedish-style massage session can reduce inflammation, which can help your muscles recover after a hard workout.
“What massage seems to do is … it reduces the inflammatory response as a function of the damage you incurred while you’re exercising,” explained one of the study’s authors Simon Melov, a molecular biologist at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging. Continue reading
5 Health Benefits of Masturbation
Good news men, there are some benefits to beating the pud, charming the snake, choking the chicken, chroming the dome, milking the bull, romancing the bone, squeezing the cream from the flesh twinkie. Some non-doctor advice, if that willie of yours starts getting sore or if your paper towel budget starts to sky rocket, give it a rest!
A new survey from adult product peddler AdamandEve.com reveals that 27 percent of Americans admit to masturbating once or twice a week.
That number seems suspiciously low to us, especially since science has shown that being master of your domain can provide additional feel-great benefits. (Also because the people surveyed were browsing an adult toy website.) “Masturbation is part of a healthy sex life,” says Gloria Brame, Ph.D., a clinical sexologist. “It’s totally safe and harmless. It’s healthier than brushing your teeth every day.”
And just as brushing your teeth should be a regular occurrence, so too should be cleaning your pipes. Here are 5 reasons to take matters into your own hands right now. (You’re welcome.) Continue reading
