The human body is wondrous. When one pays attention to its bio-mechanical abilities, one cannot help but marvel at the intelligence that has shaped it. Our complex organ systems and the brain work perfectly in sync with each other not just to keep us alive but also to produce children, create feats of engineering, write poetry, run marathons, launch rockets into space and to walk. . We are bipedal beings in that we balance and walk on two legs as opposed to the quadrupeds (most animals) that use four.
Our legs and pelvis have bones and muscles that are designed to let us run, climb, walk, dance, crawl and sit. These structures are strong and dynamic wherein they can handle a lot of physical labour and the one thing they don’t handle well is inactivity. When we do not exercise and nourish our body with the right nutrients, even workhorses like our legs will diminish in their abilities.
Stiffness, pain and lethargy in your legs and hips are direct consequences of lack of motion and this can be reversed with small doses of the right kind of movement. The following posture is simple and can be done anytime during the day. It stretches the muscles that support the pelvis and restores circulation in that region. The stiffness of the joints and large muscle groups of the legs are also relieved.
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(Butterfly pose)
Sit on the ground and stretch your legs out in front of you. If your back curves when you sit down, place a flat cushion beneath you.
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Bend your knees and bring your heels as close to your pelvic region as possible. If your knees hurt, bring your feet a little forward.
Let your knees fall outward as you bring the soles of your feet together. Clasp your feet and straighten your back.
Breathe normally and gently move your knees up and down fifteen times like the wings of a butterfly. Don’t force this movement to ensure that you don’t sprain any muscles.
Release your legs slowly out of the pose and finish the sequence by rotating your ankles clock-wise and counter clock-wise.