Working Odd Hours? Yoga Tips that Help
Working irregular shifts has become the norm for people in modern society today. Studies tell us that a significant number of people earn their daily living through night shifts. 24X7 customer care centers, long distance drivers, and air hostesses are a few examples of work that requires irregular shifts. Needless to say, working strange hours can have an adverse impact on health and quality of life.
Our bodies crave routine and react poorly to constant disruptions. Sleep patterns go for a toss, leading to insomnia. Night shifts can also wreak havoc on our eating patterns as well.
This can lead to unhealthy eating habits that result in obesity and other health disorders.
Creating a new routine that is compatible with the work module can help to eliminate many problems associated with irregular shifts. Eating healthy meals at regular intervals can help to reduce complications that come from binging on junk food. Caffeine, nicotine and alcohol are best avoided as well. Exercise is an important component that helps to keep the body fit and healthy. It is a great stress buster as well. Practicing yoga regularly helps to reduce a lot of stress related illnesses. Yoga helps to calm the mind and works the core of the body.
As insomnia is a common problem among night shift workers, let us take a look at a few yoga tips that will help to ease this disorder.
- Deep breathing exercises or Pranayamahelp to calm the mind and soothe the nerves. This is essential as stress and anxiety often causes sleep related disturbances.
- Yoga poses such as forward lunges and stretches help to exercise the core of our bodies. The standing forward bend posture releases the tension built up in the back and shoulders. These positions help in relaxing stressed muscles and leave one feeling invigorated and refreshed.
- The Corpse Pose (Savasana) is another method of deep relaxation. This position gradually relaxes muscles and calms the body and the mind.
Working irregular shifts confuses the body’s digestive clock. This can lead to constipation. There are a few yoga positions that can help to address this problem as well.
- The Wind Removing Pose (Pavanmuktasana) helps to stimulate the digestive system.
- The Bow Pose (Dhanurasana) and the Corpse Pose (Savasana) also help in dealing with digestive problems.
Please consult your doctor before trying any yoga pose on your own. In addition, it is best to learn from a trained yoga instructor who can correct postures and point out errors. Incorrect yoga postures can lead to additional health complications.
Read more articles from the General Discussion Category.
Find Pose