Are you a busy bee and always face a time crunch? Do you desire to get fit, but don’t quite know how? If yes, then I welcome you to the word of Surya Namaskars.
Sun salutations/Surya Namaskars is a well-rounded and well balanced complete body work out. It comprises of 12 yoga postures that involve the flexion and extension of the muscles and the movement of the joints. Every pose is followed by its counter pose and the postures are a thorough balance of strengthening and stretching poses. You stretch yourself upwards and downwards, you stretch yourself forward and backwards and strengthening occurs as you carry your entire weight on your upper body as well as carry your entire weight on your lower body.
If done in a fast pace it turns out to be a good cardio vascular workout and if done slowly it tones the muscles and is relaxing and meditative. One round of Sun Salutation consists of 12 yoga poses. One set consists of two rounds of Sun Salutation: first stretching the right side of your body and then the left side. So, when you do 12 sets of Sun Salutation, you are completing 12 sets x 2 rounds, i.e.24 rounds. Each round comprises of 12 yoga poses which translates to 288 yoga poses and that too within 10 to 12 minutes. Isn't it amazing to complete 288 powerful yoga postures in a span of just 10-12 minutes?
Now coming to the calories, one set of Surya Namaskars burns approximately 13.90 calories for an average weighing person.
Let’s see how many calories you burn in a 30 minute workout:
Weight lifting = 199 calories Tennis = 232 calories Basketball = 265 calories
Football = 298 calories Bicycling (14 - 15.9 mph) = 331 calories
Beach volleyball = 265 calories Rock climbing = 364 calories
Running (7.5mph) = 414 calories
Surya Namaskars = 417 calories (if you complete one set in one minute)
12 sets of Surya Namaskars approximately burns nearly 300 calories that is equivalent to doing rigorous exercise in the gym for an hour. Major benefit of practicing Surya Namaskars is that the postures can be improvised depending on the individual body type and hence it can be started by anyone who wishes to lose calories quickly.
But then Surya Namaskars are more than just burning calories. Nothing can warm up your muscles and joints like Surya Namaskars – light jogging, aerobic exercise and biking warm up legs mostly, but what about arms, spine and shoulders?
It benefits all the major muscles, joints and vital organs such as heart, liver, intestine, stomach, chest, throat, and legs
It boosts respiratory capacity, improves cardiovascular functioning and stimulates the digestive system
It promotes strength, vitality, lightness and agility
It gives relief from mental strain, stress and emotional anxiety
It improves muscle flexibility
Prevents loss of hair and graying
Tones up the nervous system and improves memory
Normalizes the activity of the endocrine glands - especially the thyroid gland
Acts as detoxifying agent, by getting rid of enormous quantity of carbon dioxide and other toxic gases.
As darkness cannot last in presence of light same way illness cannot prevail in presence of a regular practice of sun salutations
After several rounds it also helps in clearing the clogs in the nostrils and breath flows evenly through them. This aids a healthy pattern of left and right nostril dominance to alternate during the day
To sum it all up, ‘It is a complete practice for a physical, mental and spiritual well-being’.
Major Do’s to remember are:
The movements should be fluid and graceful and absolutely no jerky movements
The transition from one pose to another is as important as the postures themselves.
It has to be performed with a synchronized breathing that has to be slow and smooth.
Word of caution:
As we have varied lifestyles, medical histories, health conditions, breathing habits and levels of strength and flexibility it is always advised to practice under a yoga instructor, wherein she shall analyse the personal medical history and health conditions and teach specific adjustments which better suit one’s own body.
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Courtesy:Raahat Yoga Studio