Variation Donkey Kicks/Tiger Pose Video. 10x Each Leg 1 Set. (Please seek advice from a professional medical/health practitioner before doing any (new) exercise).
Exercising is so beneficial for your overall health. With an invisible illness, it can be harder to do some exercises or even want to for a number of reasons such as pain in your joints, tiredness, lack of motivation, etc.
All of which I have experienced with having Lupus SLE & Lupus related illnesses (Aneamia, Chronic Kidney Disease, Arthritis etc), so providing a variety of videos to help with having a variety of exercises available to choose from. This can boost your motivation to exercise daily without having to leave the house or spend money on equipment and / or fancy gym wear.
Also, the byproduct of doing daily exercise is the change in body aesthetics. Including looking leaner and more toned, which can boost your self-confidence. But most importantly, it is conditioning the body to get stronger and improve your overall health, which is beneficial for maintaining a level of health aside from medication.
In terms of medication, which is there to treat your illness, it’s up to you to do the exercise to maintain or improve your physical health and can help improve the severity of how your symptoms will affect you. It’s not a cure. But it is a way of having no reason not to have goals. Be it to be more flexible, toned, stronger, and mobile in regards to exercises you can do whilst at home and/or you want to tone your butt or any other body part because it’s simply one of your goals.
As with anyone doing exercise, the most important thing is technique. If your technique isn’t right, you’ve just waisted the energy on doing exercises, which provided no benefits. Also, increasing the chances of injury and long-term injury could be sustained doing exercises wrong. For example, you wouldn’t put diesel into an unleaded car because it would stop working. It’s the same as doing squats, but every time you’re in the squat position, your knees are way in front of your toes. After some time, your knees will stop working because of the disportionate stress you put on them, perpetuating an injury and/or increasing the chance of joint issue’s (arthritis).
There are adaptations to every exercise. But with that, the adaptation still has to be followed correctly (technique). With Lupus SLE, I’ve had P.Ts and yoga instructors teach me techniques that enable me to do exercises that I can make to fit me. So, the fundamentals/principles of the exercise don’t change. It may just be that I lay my hands differently on the ground. For example, as in the video, my hands do not have all my fingers facing forward. That is because I have limited mobility in my wrists due to AV (avascular necrosis) in my left and arthritis in my right. So, for those that can have their hands placed on the floor in the standard position or on blocks. Whichever is most comfortable. It doesn’t change the starting/ending position on all four’s.
Once you know/implement the correct techniques of exercises. You can expand on a variety and/or progress on to more advanced versions. It can encourage consistency and motivation. It can be challenging mentally to get up and do that exercise. So it’s not just physical. So it’s what I like to call a positive, active habit. Whether that’s if I went for a walk or did specific yoga + fitness exercises such as the one in the video. I will always do a range of exercises that activate the whole body.
Let’s get to it.
Variation Donkey Kicks/Tiger Pose. With this variation, unlike standard Donkey Kicks, the back would be kept straight (static) when raising/lowering the leg. But within the yoga Tiger Pose, the back arches extension and flexion). I like to combine my yoga and fitness on some days due to a variety of reasons. Sometimes, it’s I don’t feel up to it or can manage it physically. I feel like switching it up, but I want to work out my glute muscles and stretch.
Tones and strengthens the glutes (buttocks) + hamstrings (back of the thighs). Stretches and lengthens the spine (extension and flexion).
By pulling the knee into the chest, you’re engaging the abs. The arms + on all four’s (stability).
• On all four’s stack, the shoulders over the wrists. Stack your hips over the knees.
• Look ahead, but do not over extend your neck.
• Lift your foot up, pointing towards the ceiling, and lower the knee in towards your chest. Lowering the head looking in the direction of the front of your legs and / or the knee on the ground (keep the neck/head straight. The knee on the ground is just a visual guide). You can just look at the ground but ensure your neck is aligned with the spnie. The back will arch on foot movement up and be rounded when the knee comes in towards the chest.
• Pulse the movement. To gain the most muscle contraction.
• Breathe in : upward move. Breathe out: knee into chest.
• 10x Reps each leg = 1 Set.
Aim to do 3 sets minimum. As 30 reps, each leg is manageable as a starting or daily goal. It also works for maintenance. Also, consistency will provide improvement in lower body flexibility, tone, and strength.
If you require extra support on joints. Double up on floor cushioning but not to cushioned that the surface is not even.
It all depends on your individual requirements. A rolled towel under the front of ankles to rest on.
Blocks to place your hands on.
(My hand position is a personal choice, which I’m accustomed to for many years, so it’s second nature).
I will be uploading more videos more regularly. As a Lupus SLE, Raynaud’s, Chronic Kidney Disease (stage 4) patient and advocate. Hoping to contribute to positive active changes and motivation for communities using my yoga and fitness expertise + qualifications + experience + passion for good use.
Please support my cause with a like/ share. Feel free to contact me or comment if there’s any particular exercises that you would like to see. You don’t need to have an invisible illness to contribute. It is about everyone being included. Because yoga, fitness, health, and well-being belong to us all.
You can also view other exercise videos on my Facebook page and stories + reels on my Instagram.
G.ElliottServices 