7-day yoga plan for better health and metabolism

Yoga postures: Sedentary living causes poor metabolism rates in the human body. We humans are lucky because we can take control of ourselves and set better health plans that boost metabolism. Yoga is fun and can help with your metabolic issues by improving your gut health. The 7-day yoga plan combines various exercises, diet changes, and breathing techniques.

Day 1: Monday Start with basic, gentle yogic sookshmkriyas

It is advisable to begin your first day with the basics, and sookshkriyas are the way to go to activate your digestive system. Before performing sookshmkriyas, have one or two glasses of lukewarm water. This step is a must if you want to experience a positive change in your gut health. The list includes greeva shakti vikasak, kati shakti vikasak, chair pose, ropping, and dandasan stretches. Post-exercise, perform kapalbhati and nadi shodhan.

Day 2: Tuesday includes forward bending and meditation

Incorporate forward bends like paadhastaasan, paschimottanasan, and chakkichalan kriya to activate your core muscles. After exercise, you can practice guided meditation that will manage your stress level. You must include fibre in your diet for proper digestion. You can have salads, vegetable soups, and fruits to get nourishment.

Day 3: Wednesday for core strengthening

Post-warmup, you can practice yoga postures such as boat pose and low plank to activate your core muscles. A strong core has a better-functioning digestive system, which ultimately helps maintain a healthy balance of good bacteria in the gut. Table-top planks and reverse crunches will also aid in core strengthening. Kapalbhati will enhance your digestive fire, or jaththaragni, and your metabolism will get boosted. Alternate breathing practices can help relax your mind and make your stress go away. Include curd and good enzymes in your diet to promote gut health.

Day 4: Thursday for twisting

Practice triangle pose, vakra asan, and markatasaan, to name a few. These poses will help eliminate toxins from your digestive system. You must practice sookshmkriyas every day before coming to the yoga poses to avoid injuries. Include plant-based proteins like sprouts, soy, raagi malt, etc. to meet your daily protein requirement

Day 5: Friday for leg balancing

Practice leg-balancing poses such as tree pose, eagle pose, warrior pose, and natraj asan. These postures engage the core muscles and improve your stability. Don’t skip the warm-up and end your practice with nadi shodhan pranayam and deergh pranayam. This combination will promote harmony in the body and make your digestive system work properly. You can have dates and milk before exercise.

Day 6: Saturday for backbends

If you are a beginner and have a stiff back, you can start with gentle back-bending exercises. Simple cobra poses and wall bending can help you start the day. Ushtraasan and Marjariya aasan will help deepen your back bending but practice these postures with the right breathing technique under the guidance of an authentic yoga teacher. It is advisable to have a light dinner before practicing back-bending exercises the next day.

Day 7: Full body stretching and yoga Nidra

After working on every muscle every day, give your body some relaxing time with full body stretches and yogi Nidra. You can always pause and conclude your exercise with basic stretches and guided meditation. This will promote flexibility and relax your tensed muscles in the body.

Other than this plan, there are certain things you should consider for better gut health. You must wake up early and start your day with this 7-day yoga plan. You must track your sleep time. A normal human requires 6–8 hours of uninterrupted sleep. Don’t fast unnecessarily. If you are overweight and want to lose weight faster, fasting every day won’t help you. Eat healthy, mindfully, and consciously.

By Ankita Mahajan, Naturopath and Founder, Yogymummy.