How lower body exercises can help strengthen the heart and lungs

Leg exercises work all the major muscle groups in your body, which promote healthy movement patterns in daily life and enhance overall athletic performance. Additionally, having a strong lower body will make it easier to stay healthy and manage long-term illnesses like diabetes, heart disease and arthritis, says holistic health expert Dr Mickey Mehta

Lower body workouts help you control weight, ensure better digestion, build gut health and regulate hormones. (Source: Unsplash)

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Why are lower body exercises important? They help you maintain both physical and mental stability. Stimulating the lower body workout, especially the legs, increases growth hormones. Single-leg exercises can help you strengthen your core, improve balance, toning the legs and burning calories.

Besides, they prevent you from developing conditions that accelerate chronic diseases. Lower body workouts help you control weight, ensure better digestion, build gut health and regulate hormones, which are crucial for appetite suppression and metabolism. They work on your muscles and bones, improve brain function, pump more blood and oxygen throughout the body, thereby improving lung and heart function.

The following exercises can be done to reap benefits:

1) CHAIR POSE

Method: Stand straight and tall with your feet slightly wider than hip-width apart and your arms at your sides. Inhale and lift your arms next to your ears, stretching them straight and parallel with wrists and fingers. Keep your shoulders down and spine neutral. Exhale as you bend your knees, keeping your thighs and knees parallel. Lean your torso forward to create a right angle with the tops of your thighs. Keep your neck and head in line with your torso and arms. Hold for 30 seconds to a minute.

2) TWISTED CHAIR POSE

Method: Stand with your feet together. Inhale, raise your hands, squat, keeping your back straight. Exhale, join your hands, twist your torso to the right, bringing your left elbow to the outer side of the right thigh. Hold for 10 counts. Inhale, come up, exhale and continue on the other side. Relax in a standing position.

3) SIDE KICK WHILE IN A WIDE CHAIR POSE

Method: Stand straight with legs three feet apart. Breathe in and go down in a squat position. Breathe out, come up, straighten your legs and kick sidewards, alternating right and left. Breathe in and come back in a squat position. Relax, stand straight.

3) EAGLE POSE

Method: Stand straight. Slowly shift your weight on the left leg and try bringing your right thigh on the left. Try to hook the right foot behind the left calf. Or you can keep it on the ground. Now cross your left elbow over the right and try touching your palms together. Try balancing yourself for 10 counts and repeat on the other side.

4) WARRIOR 1 POSE

Method: In a standing position, step your right foot forward. With your foot parallel to the floor, bend your knee into a lunge. Keep your left leg straight behind you and turn your left heel in at approximately 45 degrees. Raise your arms straight above your head, keeping your shoulders pressed down. Squeeze your shoulder blades together and downward, and lift your chin to gaze at your hands overhead. Hold your pose and then repeat on the left side.

5) PIGEON POSE

Method: Stand straight, bend forward like a downward facing dog. From the downward facing dog position, bring your right leg forward as if you are trying to sit cross legged. Straighten your left leg, inhale and hold it for 10 counts. Exhale, come up in a downward facing dog position, and then bring your left leg forward, hold it for 10 counts. Come back in a downward facing dog position, bring your hands close to the foot, raise your hands up and relax.

8) SQUAT TO DOUBLE LUNGE

Method: Stand straight, with legs a foot apart. Squat and then move your right leg forward 90 degree in lunge position. Come back in a squat position and then move your left leg forward in a 90 degree lunge position. Repeat it 15 times.

10) STANDING CRUNCH WITH LEG EXTENDED

Method: Stand with feet hip-width apart. Place your arms overhead, shoulders down. Keep your core braced and bring your right elbow towards the left knee as you twist your waist, while keeping your legs extended. Repeat the same on the opposite side.

11) SQUAT WITH FORWARD KICK

Method: Start in a squat position, keeping your feet shoulder width apart. Bring your left knee up in front of you and extend your leg out in front. Come back to the squat position and repeat the same with the other leg.

12) LUNGE AND SQUAT

Method: Start in a squat position keeping your feet shoulder width apart. Come up, then immediately go into a forward lunge, take a big step forward with your right leg. Start to shift your weight forward, so your heel hits the floor first. Lower your body until your right thigh is parallel to the floor. Press into the right heel to drive back up to the starting position and squat. Repeat on the other side.

Remember, all above exercises need to be done under expert supervision only. Leg exercises work all the major muscle groups in your body, which promote healthy movement patterns in daily life and enhance overall athletic performance. Additionally, having a strong lower body will make it easier to stay healthy and manage long-term illnesses like diabetes, heart disease and arthritis.