Uttanpadasana is also known as the ‘Raised leg pose’. In Sanskrit, Uttan means raised and pada means legs. Practising this aasan helps strengthen the core, and abdominal muscles.
How to perform Uttanpadasana?
Lie down on your back. Legs straight and arms by the side of the body. Palms downwards.
Take a deep breath in and exhale fully to begin practising Uttanpadasana.
Take a deep breath and raise both legs keeping them together. While raising the legs, engage your abdominal muscles. Legs raising should be done by contracting the abdominal muscles.
Arms will be on the side of the body. Don’t use arms to lift the legs upwards.
Don’t raise the legs too high. They should be 30 to 60 centimetres from the ground. If your legs are raised too high, then there will be less contraction on the abdominal muscles.
Hold your legs in this position and feel the contraction in the abdominal area. Try and stay in the final position as comfortable as you can.
As you exhale slowly lower the legs and rest on the floor.
Benefits of Uttanpadasan?
Uttanpadasana offers a lot of benefits for the practitioner.
This aasan engages and strengthens the core, and abdominal muscles. This helps develop the toned abdomen.
During the practice internal organs are massaged and digestive organs are stimulated. This aids better digestion.
Additionally reduces the risk of lower back pain and tones the thigh muscles.
Uttanpadasana looks very simple and easy to perform. However, to perform this you need a very strong core and abdominal muscles. If your abdominal muscles are strong, then only you will be able to hold the leg position just above (30-60 centimetres) the ground. If your abdominal muscles are weak, then you can take support of your hands to hold the legs for some time. Or you can raise the legs more so, to reduce the the contraction on the abdominal muscles.
Who should avoid doing it?
If you have recent or chronic back pain, or abdominal injuries, or are recovering from surgery do not practice Uttanpadasana. Pregnant women should avoid this pose.
Patients with heart ailments can practice by raising one leg up at a time. But do it under the guidance of a Yoga teacher.
Mayank Bhagwat 