Before the COVID 19 pandemic, I spent most of my days sitting, with a few short breaks of getting up to walk a client into or out of my office. I did not expect that much change when our company switched to providing tele-health services . . . boy, was I wrong!

I started to notice a significant increase in the level of pain in my body. I realized I’m now sitting for much longer periods of time as I get into my therapy groove and no longer need to get up to retrieve patients. Plus, after I’m clocked out of my “office,” I then go sit on the couch to help my children with their homework. 

Not only was all this sitting impacting how my body felt (sore and in pain), but I also noticed a change in my mood as well (more irritable and short with my family).

Research has shown that even if you're reasonably active, hours of sitting — whether reading a book, working on the computer, or watching TV — tighten the hip flexor and hamstring muscles and stiffen the joints themselves. Overly tight hip flexors and hamstrings affect gait and balance, making activities like walking harder and may contribute to back pain and knee stiffness. 

If our bodies feel sore and in pain, we are less likely to get off the couch and move — thus creating more soreness and leading to a vicious cycle of pain and inactivity. 

How Yoga Helps Relieve Pain and Improve Mood

Yoga is a mind-body and exercise practice that combines breath control, meditation, and movements to stretch and strengthen muscles.

What sets yoga apart from most other exercise programs is that it places as great an emphasis on mental fitness as on physical fitness, which is exactly what most of us need during this challenging time.

As the gyms closed, I was no longer able to attend a yoga class in a quiet and child-free setting. Finding an hour to do a yoga session at home without interruption or a child crawling on me was also becoming problematic.

I realized I needed something shorter and more reasonable to fit into my new schedule. I found a series of yoga videos that are only 15 minutes long but provide the muscle stretch and sense of calmness I was definitely missing. With the videos being short, yoga is now so much easier to fit into my day, and my body is no longer in the pain it was in! 

I also found some short videos for kids that introduce yoga practice integrated with a fun story that is great for them to do either by themselves or with you.

Yoga Videos I Recommend

1. “15-Minute Yoga Stretch 2.0 (Workout)”: This video is a short and relaxing 15-minute practice that helps to stretch out your whole body using different yoga based stretches. (If you find this video helpful, check out Maggie Binkley’s entire yoga series on Amazon Prime.)

2. “Squish the Fish | A Cosmic Kids Yoga Adventure!”: This is a sample of the fun yoga series for kids. (If you like this, check out the entire Cosmic Kids Yoga series on YouTube or Amazon Prime.)

Keep Learning from Our Counselors in Sioux Falls

This is the sixth post in a series of practices intended to help you maintain positive mental health during the coronavirus pandemic. For more, please visit our pandemic resource hub.

We’re here for you in other ways, too. Our team of mental health counselors in Sioux Falls is now offering tele-health therapy (AKA online video sessions) for our current and new clients. Learn more about the benefits of tele-health counseling and whether it’s right for you.