Exploring Functional Range of Motion in Yoga

Our minds and bodies can be trained to become the best at what they do, on a daily basis. In fact, having consistency in speech, thoughts, and actions enhance and consolidate the pattern of our movements.

As far as movements are concerned, our bodies may be habitual to extra sitting, carrying children, running, texting, and other multiple habits that we have developed over time. While a few of these habits can have an unhealthy effect on our bodies, practicing Motion yoga regularly can be an effective antidote.

Yoga for a better range of motion has been out there for quite some time now, in both practice as well as philosophy.

Let’s explore a bit about what functional yoga is all about.

Functional Yoga What is it?

As an approach, functional yoga doesn’t have any fixed range of movements or a perfect pose. A functional approach allows in creating a posture that suits the requirements of the individual.

Rather, it focuses on individual variations in the body and functional patterns of movement. Each yoga step should offer variety to everyday movements, but how we are into transitions is what it is all about. A lot of yoga practitioners are only able to engage the muscles already in use, and not all of them.

For increasing body awareness and control, it’s important to also engage those muscles that are not put into use on a regular basis.

How Yoga Enhances Functional ROM

Unlike simple stretching, yoga fosters comprehensive flexibility with different asanas to move through a complete range of motion. This not just helps in better joint flexibility, but also helps in making the surrounding joints and tissues stronger. Multiple yoga poses for flexibility and mobility make it a point to incorporate both, as they are essential to maintain a positive ROM.

Regular yoga also places a lot of importance on ‘mindful movement’, focused on breath and alignment. It helps in the prevention of overstretching, which is a peril with routines that are more aggressive.

With constant practice, yoga helps in maintaining a constant ROM, minimizing risks of an injury and improving the overall fitness in daily life.

Key Yoga Poses for Enhancing ROM

While there are a lot of yoga poses for flexibility and mobility, we will highlight a few of them here that we feel are much more adept in improving the functional ROM. Let’s have a look at them:

Downward Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)

Regular practice of this pose boosts the flexibility of ankles, hips, and spine, supporting better ROM in movements such as reaching, twisting, and bending. It also improves the mobility of shoulders and hamstrings.

Lizard Pose (Utthan Pristhasana)

The stability needed in Lizard Pose increases muscle strength around the hips, core, and pelvis, which are important to maintain an efficient ROM during both static as well as dynamic movements. Regularly doing this pose can improve mobility, enhance the health of joints, and offer a more functional range of motion.

Cat-Cow Pose (Marjaryasana-Bitilasana)
Practicing the Cat-Cow pose on a regular basis enhances flexibility of the spine, boosting the overall ROM, making it easy to bend, twist, and turn. It makes them less prone to sprains, helping in better mobility, lesser stiffness, and better functional movement in the upper and lower body.

The Role of Breathing in Functional ROM

Breathing plays a vital role in better stretches and releasing tension from the body, which has a deep impact in enhancing the ROM. Because yoga offers an integration with movement and breathing, it not only promotes relaxation but also assists in calming the nervous system, resulting in a more free-flowing body in the process.

Deep breathing during areas of body tension delivers a better stretching experience, enhancing the blood flow and oxygen delivery for better recovery and flexibility. With Yogabase London, you can have a wonderful experience in exploring functional range of motion and integrating it with your daily lives.