Many of us may have been told to lie with our feet up the wall. Strange? Yes. Comfortable? Sometimes. But beneficial? Most definitely!

Lying with feet up the wall (or Viparita Karani as the yogis would call it) has lots of benefits to our health which many of us are unaware of. Now before those of you who say they ‘aren’t flexible’ or ‘not good at yoga’ zone out, this is one of the easiest yoga poses you can do. It requires minimal flexibility, doesn’t force you to strain your muscles and is said to help you relax both mentally and physically.

THE BENEFITS:

Reduces oedema in the legs

This is particularly beneficial if you have had a recent injury to your lower limb or are on your feet constantly, and have swelling which just doesn’t seem to go away. Lying with feet up the wall uses gravity to help shift the fluid out of your legs and towards your body where it can be efficiently removed.

Soothes sore muscles

Lying with your legs elevated can help to rebalance the circulation in your muscles and encourage drainage of lactic acid, particularly following an intense workout. It can also be useful after a long flight, especially if you are someone who tends to feel achy for some time after landing.

Stretches the hamstrings

The closer you get your back to the wall the greater stretch into your hamstring you will get, particularly if you are able to keep your knees straight when up the wall.

Relieves lower back tension

Easing tension in the lower back doesn’t just come from lying with feet up the wall, but lying on your back, in general, can relax the lower back which is commonly overworked. Having your feet up the wall encourages this relaxation further due to being in a different position to normal and forcing your legs and hamstring to relax also.

Calming for the nervous system

If you haven’t picked up by now, lying with your legs up the wall helps to completely relax the body, and not just on a superficial level but all the way down to our nervous system. When we are relaxed, our body is able to digest food we have eaten and work on healing our worn-down bodies, making us feel calmer and generally more at ease with ourselves both mentally and physically.

HOW TO:

Set yourself up so your bottom in right against the wall (or as close as you are able to!), lying on your back with your legs out to the side. Once you are comfortable here bring your legs up and around so they are relaxed against the wall. If you have a belt of a band that you can use, set it to roughly hip width and place around your feet to allow your legs to completely relax.

The benefits of this exercise can be seen within 2 minutes of holding this position but most people recommend holding this pose for up to 15mins to really get the full benefits that it has to offer.

So have a try tonight, spend a few minutes relaxing and restoring your body and feel the benefits for yourself!

BY BRIDGET STEWART

Research shows that many children today are struggling to meet their daily recommended targets for physical activity. We know that inactivity is a risk factor for a multitude of chronic diseases and many of the habits that shape our adult lives are set in childhood. Physical activity is important for a growing body as movement and weight bearing have a large impact on bone strength, muscle and tendon health. Here are some tips to make sure your child is staying as active as possible.

1. Find an activity that suits your child’s personality and abilities.

Children who are very coordinated and excel in competition may find team sports both increase their self-esteem as well as keep them fit. For other children, being a part of a team can cause embarrassment and they may say they dislike exercise, when in fact what they dislike is feeling like a failure and letting down the team. These children may prefer a sport where success measured by improving on their own performance, rather than being compared to other children. Surfing, yoga, martial arts, dancing or gymnastics may be activities that suit your child if competitive and team sports cause them to be discouraged

2. Do get injuries checked out by a professional and invest in proper rehabilitation.
While children do bounce back quickly from injuries, they also may have difficulty expressing themselves and their worries when they have pain. A niggling pain that won’t go away may cause your child to say “I don’t like sport” rather than mentioning that they are in pain. Some children may retain worries that they will hurt themselves again because of a previous injury and avoid exercise because they don’t feel completely confident. Your physiotherapist can help to identify any issues that your child is having and help to resolve them.

3. Set fun and challenging goals for them to complete during their daily routine.
As less children are walking and riding to school, try to find ways to fit extra activities into the day. Have a daily long jump competition in the back yard at the same time each day or have bed making time trials. Have a routine before bed of age appropriate exercises, such as star jumps, hopping, balancing and running on the spot. You can make this part of the night or morning ritual, just like brushing your teeth.

Talk to your physiotherapist for more tips on how to increase your child’s activity levels. Finding an activity that matches your child’s age level is key to keeping them engaged and active