Promote blood circulation and help fall asleep! When is the best time to do "legs lean on the wall"?

In social media, "legs-up-the-wall pose" has become one of the most popular comfort movements in recent years. Whether it is a yoga teacher or a fitness network, it all recommends that this action can promote blood circulation, relax pressure and improve hydration. However, is this action really that magical? According to American experts, this simple posture is indeed beneficial to most people, but it is not suitable for everyone.

What is the "legs lean against the wall" action?

The way of doing this posture is as its name: raise your legs and lean against the wall and lie flat on the floor. According to Lori Rubenstein Fazzio, professor of yoga and health at Loyola Marymount University in the United States, this action is actually a simplified version of the "shoulder-up posture" in traditional yoga, and is not a formal posture in classical positioning.

The correct way is to get your hips close to the wall, lift your legs upwards and stick them on the wall, lie down slowly and maintain your posture for several minutes. If you have tight back muscles, you can keep your hips and walls apart. If you have any problems with your lower back, it is recommended to put a towel or blanket on the waist pad.

If you feel tingling or numbness during the process, you should adjust your posture according to the situation or do other actions.

What are the benefits?

1. Promote blood circulation and lymphatic reflux

Dezza Pastor, yoga and meditation instructor at the UPMC Integrated Medical Center, pointed out that "leg wall" is a passive inverted handstand that allows both legs to be higher than the heart, which helps blood and lymph to flow back into the middle of the body. This will be a clear help for the blemishes and hydration of the legs and kidneys caused by long-term standing or sitting.

Fazzio supplementation, for people who have surgically removed lymph glands and are prone to lymphatic hydration due to cancer, "legs are on the wall" is a good way to take care of themselves in daily life, and they are often used to wear pressure pills.

2. Relieve the legs and the back fascia tightening

This posture can also gently stretch the back muscles, from the bottom of the foot, the back muscles, the thighs, buttocks to the back and the neck. It is especially suitable for people who sit on a desk or often maintain the same posture for a long time.

3. Help the body and mind relax and enter parasympathetic neural state

Pastor pointed out that this action allows people to calm down for a few minutes, helps slow breathing, lower heart rate, and starts the body's "repair mode", —— parasympathetic neural system, which has obvious effects on stress and sleep aids. He suggested that beginners can start practicing for 3 to 5 minutes.

When is the most suitable time to do it?

Because this action can relieve the upright pressure of the day, Fazzio believes that the best time is before bedtime, which helps to enter a relaxed state and make a good night's sleep.

Who is not suitable for doing it?

Although this action is beneficial to most healthy adults, the following groups should avoid or consult doctors first:

●Patients with protruding vertebrae and lower back pain: Some people will be unsuitable due to increased spinal pressure.

●Patients with glaucoma: Inverted posture may increase eye pressure.

● Those who have recently received major surgery (such as heart and brain): they need to wait for the doctor to evaluate and recover before practicing.

Pastor reminds that if you have not obtained permission from the doctor, stop this posture first and start practicing after you are fully recovered.