Yoga Hero Pose Knee Discomfort? Try These 4 Exercises!

Today let's talk about the flexibility of the inner thigh. Yesterday I just wrote an article emphasizing balance and not favoring any particular area.

In leg muscle exercises, the most common preference is to emphasize the muscles on the inner thigh, while neglecting the need for flexibility on the inner thigh as well. You'll often see people with a prominent muscle on their inner thigh, which affects the overall leg line, and at this point, you need to focus on the flexibility of the inner thigh.

Lack of flexibility in the inner thigh is the simplest example: when you try to sit in Hero Pose, even if you manage to sit down, you'll feel discomfort in your knees. This is because the knee joint compensates for the lack of inner thigh flexibility.

How can we increase the flexibility of the inner thigh? Let's take a look at some exercises.

1Hero Pose

• Sit with both knees together on a mat,
• Open your knees to the sides, using your hands to push the inner thighs outwards and back,
• Then sit so that your hips are between your legs.
• Check if your feet and ankles are balanced and evenly stretched, encouraging your little toes to press firmly into the ground,
• Maintain a neutral pelvic position, with a straight spine and a natural curve in your waist,

If you still feel pressure, you can place a yoga brick under your hips,

If you find it very easy, you can lean back, gradually increasing the extension of Hero Pose,

2Camel Pose

This is also a gentle stretch for the inner thigh,

• Kneel on a mat with your knees spread apart, aligned with your pelvis,
• Your knees and feet should be flat on the ground or your feet should be flat on the ground,
• Take a deep breath, extend your spine, engage your core, and tuck your tailbone to align your pelvis posteriorly,
• Exhale, lift your rib cage, and the spine of your neck extends upwards and backwards, with your hands reaching upwards to grab the backs of your feet,
• Maintain natural breathing.
• If you feel a lot of pressure, temporarily do not reach for your feet, extend your spine upwards and backwards, lift your rib cage, and try to push your rib cage towards the ceiling,

If you feel very easy, you can bring your hands together with the same side foot, or directly touch the ground, or try to lift the back of one foot to find your hip,

3Bow Pose

Lie supine on a mat with your legs spread apart, aligned with your pelvis,

• Bend your knees and hold your hands on your ankles,
• Take a deep breath, lift your knees and thighs off the ground, while simultaneously engaging your rib cage,
• Exhale, look up, and maintain,
• During the process: actively lift your thighs; use your legs to push your shins upwards while resisting with your arms; open your rib cage, extend your shoulders downwards and sink into your chest,

4Wall-Supported Modified Bow Pose

Extend one leg into a bow pose, with your calf perpendicular to the ground,

• Bend your back knee, with the inner foot of your back leg completely against the wall, ensuring your ankles are balanced, so that your ankles are on the same line as your inner feet, and hold your hands on your knees or use yoga bricks to support your hands on either side of your body,
• Maintain for 2-3 minutes, switching sides to practice,
• This posture has a different effect depending on the direction of the force. ① When maintaining, use a force of the pelvis forward and downward. Pay attention to the whole pelvis moving forward and downward, not just tilting the pelvis forward. At this time, the stretching focus is: the iliotibial band (ITB) muscles. ② When maintaining, move your pelvis and the whole body backward, bringing your hips and heels closer together. Pay attention to moving your pelvis and the whole body backward; if you only your hips back, your waist will be uncomfortable. At this time, the stretching focus is: the inner thigh.
• Both methods are correct, depending on the purpose of the exercise. If you're stretching the ITB, increase hip mobility, and enhance posterior bending, use the first method; if you're stretching the inner thigh, use the second method.

When doing the exercises, pay attention to the different directions of force and their impact on the body, observe changes in your body, which helps us establish a connection between mind and body and make finer adjustments, and achieve more efficient practice,

• Take these exercises seriously and then see how much your Hero Pose changes,

• Follow for One, Share Health and Beauty.