I did the 3-minute butterfly pose exercise every day for one week — here’s what happened

Butterfly pose is a great stretching exercise to add to your daily routine for people with tight hips and inner thighs, and can also relieve tension in your lower back. If you're curious, find out what happened when he practiced butterfly pose every day for a week.

The Butterfly, also known in Sanskrit as “Bound Angel Pose” or “Baddha Konasana” (for yogis), is a hip opener used in yoga and wider fitness circles as a static stretching exercise for the lower body. To do this, simply pull the soles of your feet together and open your knees toward the floor, softening either side.

I added this movement to my daily routine and butterflyed for 3 minutes before bed every day and it had a lasting effect on my lower back and groin. Here's what happened after 7 days and why I've added this exercise to my life ever since. Read on to roll out the perfect yoga mat for your at-home practice.

how to do butterfly pose

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

Butterfly pose is suitable for beginners and all levels of fitness and helps relieve tight muscles and tension in the lower body. However, if you are pregnant, have just given birth, or have recently sustained an injury, consult your doctor before starting any new exercises, and seek the advice of your yoga instructor if you are still unsure. People who suffer from sciatica symptoms may want to skip this exercise.

how:

Start sitting on your butt and bring the soles of your feet together in front of you. Move your feet away from your body to create a diamond shape, increasing your flexibility while bringing your heels closer to your pelvis.
Inhale deeply and as you exhale, bend your hips forward and lower your chest toward your legs. The spine should be soft and rounded, but not too rounded.
Drop your knees toward the floor and relax your legs.
Place your hands on the floor in front of you. Move your hands away from your body to give your upper body a deeper stretch.
Owned. Don't force yourself to stretch; relax your body with each exhale.
To get out of this position, put your hands back behind you and slowly sit up, lifting your chest and lengthening your back.

If forward bending feels too strong, sit back and focus on softening your feet to the floor.

I did the 3 minute butterfly pose exercise every day for a week – here are my results

It is important to understand that in one week no dramatic changes will occur in the body. Depending on the exercises you perform, we're not talking about significantly increasing strength, sculpting muscles, or shredding fat, for example. But while daily stretching can have an immediate positive effect on your muscles, you need to stick to the routine if you want to see improvements over time. This is what I experienced.

I love the pose

I already have pretty good flexibility around my lower back, groin, inner thighs (adductors), and hamstrings, so butterflies aren't as tough as others. That being said, I am the most impatient person in the world (as a direct result of that, my partner is nowhere near as good as me) and the challenge for me is practicing the art of patience. That was it.

Three minutes doesn't seem like a long time, but it gets boring quickly. This was a great test for focusing on my breathing and allowed me to get deep into butterfly pose and focus on how my body was feeling without rushing forward. After all, you'll love this stretch even more if you can stay still and feel relaxed afterwards.

I am already feeling positive changes in my lower body.

I was going through the personal hell of doing 3 minutes of frog pose every day for a week, so I thought I was going to complete this stretching challenge, but I was wrong. At first, I felt tight in the middle of my back and couldn't settle into my breathing. The trick is to breathe deeply into your stomach, as if you were directing the breath around your body.

By the end of the week, my hips, hips, and groin felt more open, and I was able to sit semi-comfortably with my chest over my legs for a full three minutes. It's worth mentioning that this is far from the purpose of hip openers. You should always strive for a sustainable posture that you can maintain without feeling pain. However, it's a hip opener for a reason. So you should find it challenging enough to develop flexibility in that area. You can adjust the intensity by moving your heels closer to your hips (more difficult) or farther away (easier).

must continue

Do you know how much you loosen up when you stretch? Interestingly, it feels tight again after a few hours. While stretching, golgi tendon organ (GTO) can sense muscle tension and send information to the brain. GTO can also interrupt muscle spindle activity to help you reach deeper stretches. This is your body's way of telling your muscles to “relax.” Therefore, over time I was able to go deeper into the butterfly.

However, the stretch reflex prevents you from overstretching, so your muscles may feel stiff again a few hours after you stop stretching and return to normal.

For years, the effectiveness of stretching has been debated. reduce the chance of injury Or muscle soreness after training. And research is mixed. That said, most fitness professionals (myself included) save static stretching after a workout to improve flexibility and range of motion without hindering performance. When combined with the dynamic movements found in yoga and pre-workout warm-ups, it can improve overall mobility.

I was going through the personal hell of doing 3 minutes of frog pose every day for a week, so I thought I was going to complete this stretching challenge, but I was wrong.

of mayo clinic They also say that stretching can improve flexibility and increase blood flow to muscles, which can help with performance during daily activities and physical activity. But the trick is to keep going. Like anything else in life, you need to practice regularly to see results. Ideally, you should do Butterfly Pose for at least 3 to 5 minutes each time (preferably more).

Helped me stretch my back

Many yoga teachers say that butterfly pose stretches your back, so it can help improve your posture and strengthen your core (to prevent you from falling onto your back or rounding your spine). , requires the use of core muscles). I've noticed that on days when my muscles feel really tight after a CrossFit class, I stretch my back more intensely. I practiced wrapping my hands around my feet, pulling my elbows in, pulling my heels closer to my body, and using my exhale to soften them.

I did 3 minutes of butterfly pose every day for a week – here's my verdict

I love trying this pose every day and have found an even more delicious variation of butterfly pose, reclining butterfly, to help me fall asleep. To do this, start in butterfly pose, lie down on a mattress, pillow, or bolster, with your arms at your sides or behind your head, and focus on your breathing. I added this to my routine for a few nights and it helped me relax before switching off for the night.

If you spend long hours at your desk like I do, butterflies can help counteract the effects of sedentary behavior and intense training. If you want to tighten your hips and lean forward, fold a pillow or bolster under your elbows, or support your knees with a yoga block instead.

Butterfly pose has been great for my lower back health and helped me get rid of sitting at my desk for longer hours than I should have. But what works for me may not work for you. So be sure to consult your yoga teacher when deciding whether to do it or not. Adjust or develop your pose.

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