Tired Legs, Tight Hips?
Consider giving ‘legs up the wall’ with these stretches a go.
Most of us spend the majority of our day with our feet and legs in the downward direction from our upper body. To be fair, this is how we are designed to function. Allowing gravity to work in the opposite direction in our lower extremities by getting our legs and feet above our upper body can bring numerous benefits. Whether you're sitting at your desk most of the day, making rounds in the hospital, chasing/carrying kids, or essentially moving through life, taking a bit of time to put your legs up the wall can be a bit of rejuvenation for tired legs and feet.
Legs up the wall (viparita karani in Sanskrit) is a pose often referred to as restorative yoga. If you feel a bit intimidated by the idea of yoga or it’s just not your thing, I get it. I had my own resistance when I started yoga. So if it feels more comfortable, call it stretching, recovery, flexibility work, self-care, whatever makes it feel approachable for you.
Take a few moments to get comfortable in the pose and play around with the distance from the wall. If you have tight hamstrings, sliding away from the wall a bit might feel more comfortable. Once you're there, hang out for a while and just let gravity do its work. If you’d like some variations while in this position, consider giving these stretches a try while you are there.
Butterfly
Thread the needle
Wide leg straddle
Check out this short video demonstrating how to get in and out of ‘legs up the wall’ along with the stretches mentioned above. Keep in mind, your body is unique and only do or go as far into the stretch as feels accessible for you.
Feel free to play around with arm placement with legs up the wall. I like arms down by the side, palms up, cactus arms, and one of my favorites is to place one hand on my heart and the other on my belly. This last placement helps me bring more awareness to my breath and notice my belly and chest rise and fall with my breathing. Keep in mind, each pose might look a little different depending on what your body says okay to in that moment. Pain should not come with any of these poses and I encourage you to reach out to your doctor to discuss any concerns before trying. For all the warriors out there, this is a time to be gentle with your body.