Yoga exercise as a way to prevent covid

With the increasing number of cases of COVID-19 infection in Indonesia, the government also urges the public to stay at home to control the transmission rate. However, that doesn't mean you can spend your time lazing around.

A number of preventive efforts must also be made, one of which is by exercising. According to some experts, yoga can be one of the sports to prevent COVID-19.

Does Yoga Prevent COVID-19? This is the link between the two

Indeed, maintaining an active lifestyle while undergoing quarantine is not easy. There is always a temptation that makes people prefer to remain silent, others feel that they are sufficiently protected from the virus by just staying indoors.

In fact, for both young and old, you still have to do regular physical activity if you want to stay healthy. Instead of just spending more time sitting, doing physical activity will certainly be more useful for boosting immune function.

As is well known, there are several groups of people who are more vulnerable to COVID-19. Among them are people who are in the age group 65 and over, people with chronic diseases such as diabetes or lung disease, and people with low immune systems.

Therefore, the thing you can do besides staying at home is exercising. One of them is doing yoga to prevent COVID-19.

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Yoga is known as a meditation exercise that functions to relieve anxiety. This benefit will certainly be very useful in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

With news about COVID-19 increasing in number of cases, many people are starting to feel stressed and afraid. It is yoga exercises that will help reduce and prevent these feelings during COVID-19.

Additionally, yoga may help people with lung or breathing problems. A group of researchers from the Airways Clinical Research Centers found that breathing exercises used in yoga exercises can improve the quality of life for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

The discovery is certainly good news. Medicines taken for the treatment of COPD sometimes have serious side effects and can be quite expensive.

Indeed, yoga does not immediately cure disease but at least it can be an alternative to alleviate the condition.

Yoga prevents COVID-19 by increasing the body's immunity

Like other types of exercise, yoga can also increase endurance which is very useful if you want to reduce your risk of contracting COVID-19.

This fact was stated in a study published in Journal of Behavioral Medicine. In this yoga trial, scientists examined the immune system's response by measuring levels of pro-inflammatory markers that cause cell inflammation such as cytokines as well as the number of immune cells from blood or saliva.

As a result, participants who routinely did yoga experienced a reduction in the amount of a cytokine called IL-1beta.

Cytokines are proteins that are produced by the immune system. Actually, cytokines have a function to protect the body from infection. However, too much cytokine production is actually dangerous and can cause organ damage.

It is not certain how routine yoga should be done to produce a stronger immune system to prevent COVID-19. However, most yoga programs conducted in trials could last anywhere from 8 to 12 weeks with a frequency of once a week or every day.

Yoga poses to do during the COVID-19 pandemic

For those of you who want to start yoga, here are some poses that you can try to follow at home.

1. Downward facing dog

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This yoga pose focuses on the immune system which will impact the sinus area by increasing blood flow to it. This pose can also help to treat nasal congestion.

To do this, start on all fours, with your palms and knees being a support on the mat. place your hands slightly ahead of your shoulders, spread your fingers apart. Inhale and then exhale while lifting your knees until your legs are straight and heels don't touch the mat. Bend your head down, straighten your spine and stretch your arms out straight.

2. Seated spinal twist

Apart from relieving tension in the spinal muscles, this yoga pose can help the body's internal functions, including boosting the immune system.

Start in a sitting position with your legs extended. Bend your right knee, then place your right leg on the outside of your left thigh. Put your body in the opposite direction, then press the knee of the right leg with your left hand. Take a deep breath and exhale. Repeat steps in the opposite direction.