How to perform Upward Stretched Legs
Lie flat on your back and raise your legs up at a 90-degree angle. Keep the rest of your body in neutral, pressing evenly into the floor. Use a belt if necessary.
What is Urdhva Prasarita Padasana?
This can be both a static and dynamic pose, and it is essential for cultivating strength in your core and abdominal muscles. There are a few variations to this pose. The most basic one involves your back ribs and pelvis pressed firmly into the floor and your arms lying by your side as you raise your legs up perpendicular to the floor.
If you want to go for the more advanced version of this pose, extend your arms behind your head, all the while making sure your lower back doesn’t arch. In fact, as you press your upper back into the floor, imagine as if you’re pushing the floor away from you.
When to use Urdhva Prasarita Padasana?
This pose fits nicely into a sequence aimed at strengthening your abdominal area. It can be both static and dynamic. In the static variation, your legs are lifted up, perpendicular to the floor with your arms either at your side or behind your head.
If you’re going for the more dynamic option, bend your knees to your chest, stretch your legs straight up, and begin to do a see-saw motion with your legs, making sure your upper back body and pelvis stay firmly pressed into the floor.
Apart from its strengthening effects, Urdhva Prasarita Padasana is known for improving posture, stimulating the metabolism and improving energy levels and blood circulation in the body.
