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Yoga poses are a great way to feel more awake, as they provide a natural energy boost on days when you feel sluggish.
Whether you do these poses daily or save them for those sleepy days, it’s always beneficial to keep these poses in hand. Learning how to do these poses with proper alignment comes with practice and patience, so don’t be discouraged if you find your form lacking initially.
These exercises only take a few minutes to do. You can easily tack them at the start or end of your workout routine, or even when you need a little pick me up.
Energy-boosting Yoga Exercises
Here's a look at six such poses:
1) Bow Pose
This deep backbend helps you get more natural energy throughout the day and improve your posture. Like the other poses in this list, this one helps open your chest and shoulders. That might be a good thing if you find yourself often hunching and rounding your shoulders forward.
Here's how do this exercise:
- Lie face down, and bring your heels in towards your glutes.
- Take hold of the pinky toe side of your ankles in your hands.
- On an inhale, lift your heels away from your glutes, and raise your head, shoulders, and quads off the ground as you arch your back.
- Hold for 3-5 breaths, and exhale as you gently bring the body back down towards the ground.
2) Fish Pose
The supine backbend is a great pose for a natural energy boost. It's a great way to stretch the upper spine and open your chest, shoulders, and throat. Practicing this pose can energize the body, strengthen the upper back muscles, and improve balance.
To do this yoga move:
- Lie on your back with your legs extended, and place your hands under your glutes with the palms facing down.
- Lift your chest up towards the ceiling as you place the top of your head on the floor behind you.
- Extend from your forearms into the floor, and bring your heart to the sky.
- Hold for 3-5 breaths, and gently lower yourself down by placing your upper back and back of your head onto the ground.
3) Low Lunge with an Arch
This variation of Low Lunge can not only give you a natural energy boost, but it's also an excellent way to stretch out the hips and quads. Try this variation to improve your mood and relieve stress from the hips.
Here's how to do this exercise:
- From the downward facing dog, move your right foot between your hands, and position it such that your right ankle is directly under your right knee.
- Bending your left knee, untuck your toes. Press into the ground with both legs; engage your core as you lift your torso, and reach your arms overhead.
- Raise your hands above your head, leaving your index finger and thumb out.
- Start to bend backwards slightly, and look upwards towards the ceiling.
4) Upward Facing Dog
This pose is great for a quick natural energy boost. This pose is similar to the full cobra pose but is more difficult. Your legs must be lifted off the ground to do this pose. This posture is often practiced as a part of the Sun Salutations.
To do this yoga posture:
- Lie on your stomach, and place your palms flat on the floor on either side of your ribs.
- Shift your weight forward by pressing into the ground with your hands and feet.
- Lift your quads off the floor.
- Bring your gaze forward and slightly up. Hold for three to five breaths.
- Lower back down to the floor, or press into the floor with your hands and feet to lift your hips up and back into the downward facing dog.
5) Full Cobra
This variation of the low cobra is a great morning stretch for waking up and is an afternoon energy boost. It's also great for your legs, as it opens up the hips, chest, and lower back.
Here's how you do the full cobra yoga pose:
- Lie on your belly, and press into the ground with your hands to lift your torso off the ground.
- Relax your shoulders by spreading them apart.
- Look towards the sky, keeping your chin slightly tucked.
- The top of your legs should be on the ground, and you should feel a stretch in your hamstrings as you hold for 3-5 deep breaths.
6) Locust Pose
This energizing pose can give you a natural energy boost when you do it. You'll strengthen your back, hamstrings, and glutes by doing this exercise.
To do this yoga posture:
- Lie on your stomach, with your forehead touching the mat.
- Stretch out your arms and legs, and relax. Reach back as you lift your head, arms, legs, and feet off the ground.
- You'll feel a big stretch in your back and hamstrings.
- Hold for several breaths, and release everything back down with an exhale. Repeat 3-4 times.
Takeaway
The aforementioned yoga poses are a great addition to your morning routine.
The energy boost you get from these yoga poses can boost your productivity for the entire day. Add these into your morning routine and see how it positively impacts your life.
