World Health Day 2022: Increase endurance, stamina with 15-Minute HIIT Yoga

‘High intensity interval training’ known as HIIT is a time-efficient but safe alternative to traditional types of moderate long term exercise that involves running or cycling at almost maximum effort for a minute and then resting for a minute before repeating the process around 10 times. It is a form of cardiovascular training or interval training that alternates between short bursts of intense exercise and even shorter rest and recovery periods and if you are looking for an HIIT Yoga sequence to increase endurance and stamina this World Health Day, we got you sorted with a 15-minute workout session as revealed by Yoga and Spiritual Guru, Grand Master Akshar. 

In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Grand Master Akshar shared, “For holistic wellness solutions, Yoga has become go-to practice for its rich knowledge and methods. Yoga is a traditional science that has been around for thousands of years. Practising yoga brings complete physical, mental and spiritual health. Yoga builds strength, stamina and endurance. These following sequences will keep you vigorous, full of life, optimistic and directed for the rest of the day. If you are a beginner, please start slowly with a proper warm up.”

Yoga Warm –up

Warm-up the body with Suksham Vyayam or light exercises. When you warm up sufficiently, then it will protect you from injuries. By starting with Sukshma Vyayam, you can be guaranteed a safe practice. You can also begin with some of these grounding practices such as breathing or meditation. Before you attempt any back-bending asanas, make sure that your body is amply warmed up.

Warm up Sequence- Sukshma Vyayam

· Utkatasana

· Padhasthana

· Chaturanga Dandasana

· Urdhvamukhi Svanasana

· Adomukhi Svanasana

· Santolanasana

· Vashishtasana (Palms and Elbow variations)

· Santolanasana

· Adomukhi Svanasana

· Balasana

Jal Namaskar

Jal Namaskar is a vinyasa designed to help you identify and experience the water element within your body. Some of the poses like Padmasana, Ardha Matsyendra asana, Halasana, Supta Vajrasana and Matsya asana have a quality that belongs to water.

During the initial stages of your practice, focus on perfecting the asnas. As you get deeper in your practice, close your eyes and look within as you perform this namaskar. The Jal Namaskar will be of immense benefit to those who practice it near natural water bodies.

Steps to perform Jal Namaskar:

Asana 1: Padmasana – Lotus Pose

Asana 2: Dandasana – Staff Pose

Asana 3: Naukasana – Boat Pose

Asana 4: Dandasana – Staff Pose

Asana 5: Padmasana – Lotus Pose

Asana 6: Dandasana – Staff Pose

Asana 7: Halasana – Plough Pose

Asana 8: Adhomukha Swanasana – Downward-facing Dog Pose

Asana 9: Supta Vajrasana – Reclined Thunderbolt Posture

Asana 10: Matsyasana – Fish Pose

Asana 11 and 12: Ardha Matsyendrasana – Half Pose Dedicated to Sage Matsyendra

Asana 13: Padma Sirshasana – Lotus Headstand

Asana 14: Pindasana – Embryo Pose

Khand Pranayama

Pranayama can also be a very effective yogic technique for improving your stamina. As stamina is mostly dependant how breath, practising breathing techniques like Dwikhand Pranayama can boost your breathing capacity and improve your endurance and stamina levels.

Formation

· Sit down in Dandasana, keep your back straight and breathe for some time.

· Prepare your mind for the practice.

· Sit in pose- Sukhasan, Vajrasana, Ardhapadmasan, Padmasana or Siddhasana)

· Ideal posture is considered as Poorna Padmasana

· Straighten up and close your eyes

· Put your palms on your knees facing upwards in Prapthi Mudra

· As you take a breath in, divide your breath into two equal parts

· Without holding the breath in your lungs, exhale twice

Duration: You can start practicing this breathing technique for 1-2 minutes daily and gradually increase it with practise.

Benefits

· Increases lung’s capacity to take in Oxygen

· Builds stamina

· Increases lifespan

· Reverses age by retaining youth

· Improves endurance

· This pranayama works wonders for people with shortness of breath.

Yoga is packed with loads of health benefits like helping you to maintain a healthy posture, increasing metabolism, decreasing fatigue, resting heart rate and stress levels. Practising Yoga regularly can also play a major role in boosting stamina on physical, physiological and mental levels. Yoga increases efficiency of cardiovascular and respiratory systems. This is because Vinyasan flows like Jal Namaskar, Surya Namaskar etc aid in improving aerobic and anaerobic endurance.