Get fit with Surya Namaskar

Here's how to make the most of it.

The Sun Salutation or Surya Namaskar is one of the most widely known yogic exercise. It is a combination of various poses seamlessly flowing into one big movement.

Here we deconstruct the flow and take these individual poses to execute different exercises.

Please consult your doctor before beginning this workout.

Wear comfortable, stretchy clothes. Get a mat, soft relaxing music and a scented candle if you wish!

Sun Salutation warm up:

Stand with arms raised overhead

Bend back

Go into a hip hinge squat with arms overhead

Bend over and place your hands on the floor in table top position

Step the right leg way behind into a lunge (left knee must stay in line with the ankle)

Then take the left leg back

Lie on the floor

Pull your torso up by straightening the arms

Lift your hips up into an inverted V or Down Dog position

Step forward with your right leg to lunge.

Now step forward the left leg to table top

Lift your body up to hip hinge

Stand with your arms overhead

Repeat the whole sequence taking the left leg back into the lunge this time.

Do a total of 8-10 repetitions.

Here are the exercises, deconstructed:

Do 2 sets of each exercise.

1. Hip Hinge Squats

Stand with your arms overhead (in line with the ears, and elbows straight) and feet a little more than hip distance apart. Slowly lower your body into a squat using 8 slow counts to go down.

Hold the squat for 8 counts and then come up very slowly using 8 counts. Arms stay up all through.

Do a total of 4 squats.

2. Dynamic Reverse Lunges

Stand with your arms overhead in prayer. Take a large step back with your right leg and sink into a lunge by bending both knees. Bring your arms down out to the sides in line with your shoulders.

Come up and bring the leg back while taking your arms overhead. Now take the left leg back into the lunge.

Keep alternating legs and do a total of 16 repetitions.

3. Plank to Cobra to Down Dog

Get into a plank position as shown. Keep your abdominals tight so as to hold your body up in a straight line. Lower your chest towards the floor and the your tummy to lie down.

Straighten your arms as you pull your torso up to cobra. Raise your hips high up, drop your head and flatten out your back getting into an inverted V or Down Dog position.

Then go back to plank and repeat the move.

Do a total of 8-10 repetitions.

4. Elbow Plank Reverse Crunches

Get into a plank position but this time on your elbows with your forearms on the floor. Now tighten your tummy muscles hard as if you are trying to create an archway under you.

Release back to plank.

Repeat 12-16 times.

5. Split Down Dog Leg raises

Get into the Down Dog position. Raise your right leg up as high as you can, squeezing your hip. Lower slowly and lift up again.

Do 12 repetitions per leg.

Illustrations: Uttam Ghosh/Rediff.com

Lead image used for representational purposes only. Image: Tribesports/Creative Commons