Physical Wellness | 6 Minutes Read

Benefits of Surya Namaskar – Explore Benefits on Both Body & Mind

By Suhas Prasad

Regular practice of Surya Namaskar benefits the functioning of the throat, lungs, chest, heart, liver, stomach, legs & Etc. To say it in a sentence, Surya Namaskar is a complete body workout that benefits the functioning of the body’s entire vital organs. 

In addition to the benefits of Surya Namaskar on the body, The synchronization of the Surya Namaskar sequence of poses and breathing helps in reducing stress and increasing self-awareness. Let’s understand the benefits of Surya Namaskar in detail.

Benefits of Surya Namaskar:

Benefits of Surya Namaskar Practice Early In The Morning:

Practising Surya Namaskar or any form of exercise early in the morning has numerous benefits on the wellness of your body and mind.

7 Key Benefits of Surya Namaskar Practice Early In the Morning:

  • Practising Surya Namaskar early in the morning helps in improving your physical and mental energy
  • The daily practice of Surya Namaskar early in the morning helps you get rid of poor posture-related muscular and joint pain
  • Waking up early and practising Surya Namaskar every day, benefits in enhancing your personal discipline
  • Regular practice of Surya Namaskar can benefit you with a natural glowing and younger-looking skin
  • Practising Surya Namaskar in the early morning sunrise helps in the natural production of Vitamin D or the Sunshine Vitamin which is a vital component for the development of bones and teeth
  • It helps in increasing the metabolism of the body, thereby helping in weight loss
  • Practising Surya Namaskar early in the morning and before breakfast, helps in fat reduction and cholesterol control

Benefits of Surya Namaskar for Students & Children:

Practising Surya Namaskar during student life has the below-mentioned 5 benefits,

  • Surya Namaskar helps in increasing concentration and focus
  • It helps in enhancing memory and cognitive thinking capabilities
  • Surya Namaskar is a perfect exercise for stretching your whole body. Stretching helps in the production of Endorphins that elevates your mood and reduces anxiety 
  • A study by Swami Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Samsthana, Bangalore, India proves that Surya Namaskar helps in improving scholastic performance in school children
  • Surya Namaskar helps in getting rid of sleepiness by increasing the levels of melatonin by absorbing the sunlight when practised outdoors in the early morning 

Benefits of Surya Namaskar as an exercise:

Reduction of Stomach Fat: 

When 12 steps of Surya namaskar are practised regularly at a fast pace, it helps in stretching the abdominal muscles assisting you in reducing weight around the stomach area

Boosts Fitness Level: 

12 postures of the Surya Namaskar sequence help in stretching, strengthening, and boosting the fitness levels of the body. Step 6 of Surya Namaskar, The Ashtanga Namaskar works on the wrist joints, Step 3 of Surya Namaskar, the Hasta Padasana makes the hips flexible and Stretches the hamstrings

Improves Cardio-Respiratory Fitness: 

A Study proves practising 4 four rounds of Surya Namaskar Regularly would maintain or improve cardiorespiratory fitness

Benefits of Surya Namaskar For Weight Loss:

Various research has been carried out and it has been shown that one round of Surya namaskar benefits in the burning of 14 calories. One round of Surya Namaskar takes about 3.5 minutes to complete at a normal pace.

Please Note: Calories burnt vary from person to person. It depends on the person’s body weight and other attributes

Benefits of Surya Namaskar on Organs of the Body:

Benefits of Surya Namaskar for Eyes: 

While practising Surya Namaskar early in the morning, keeping our eyes wide open at the rising sun and closing our eyes when the sun rises completely helps in improving eyesight. This process is popularly called “Sun Gazing”. Surya Namaskar helps in normalizing the blood supply to various organs of your body including the eyes.

Benefits of Surya Namaskar on Heart: 

Surya Namaskar helps in balancing blood pressure naturally. The 12-step Surya Namaskar sequence benefits the muscles of the heart and helps in making the heartbeat regular.

Benefits of Surya Namaskar on Stomach: 

During the 12 steps of Surya Namaskar, we would alternatively compress and decompress the muscles of the abdomen.  This helps in stimulating the production of digestive fire that helps in solving constipation, irregular bowel movement & other digestion-related problems.

Benefits of Surya Namaskar on Lungs: 

While practising the 12 steps of Surya Namaskar, we focus on breathing while changing from one pose to another.  This helps in increasing lung capacity.

Benefits of Surya Namaskar on the Human Brain: 

Surya Namaskar helps in increasing the oxygen content in the blood which in turn increases the cellular function and vitality of the brain. Step 1 of Surya Namaskar – the Pranamasana, helps in balancing the left and right hemispheres of the brain.

Benefits of Surya Namaskar For Females:

Along with the above-mentioned benefits of Surya Namaskar, below are a few additional benefits that a woman – the most powerful being in the universe practising Surya Namaskar would receive,

  • Surya Namaskar helps in stimulates the Ovaries & Uterus
  • Helps in Regulation of Menstrual Cycle: Surya Namaskar is wonderfully beneficial for women having irregular menstrual cycles.
  • Increases the Chances of Natural Childbirth: Surya Namaskar balances the female hormones and thereby increases the chances of having a natural childbirth. Daily practice of the 12 Steps of Surya Namaskar helps in easy and smooth childbirth
  • Suya Namaskar helps in correcting Internal flaws related to the malfunctioning of sexual glands

Benefits of Surya Namaskar For Men:

In the recent past, due to an unhealthy lifestyle and bad habits, reproductive problems along with infertility in male is very common. 

Surya Namaskar, also known as Ultimate Asana is a full-body exercise that focuses on strongly balancing mind & body. Surya Namaskar postures can effectively help in eliminating all the causes of infertility in men.

  • Step 5 of Surya Namaskar: Dandasana or Plank Pose – Helps in enhances sexual stamina & wellness, 
  • Step 3 of Surya Namaskar: Hasta Padasana – Helps in enhancing the blood circulation, and 
  • Step 7 of Surya Namaskar: Bhujangasana – Helps in enhancing the wellness of the reproductive organs

If you are curious to know, here are a few frequently asked questions,

How many calories does 50 Surya Namaskar burn?

50 rounds of Surya Namaskar would take about 175 minutes (approx) to complete and its benefits in burning 700 Calories (approx)

How many calories are you burning in your 30-minutes of Surya Namaskar?

30 minutes of Surya Namaskar helps you in burning about 200 to 400 calories depending upon the pace of the workout and other factors

Is it good to do Surya namaskar every day?

Yes, absolutely! 10 minutes of Surya Namaskar every day, helps in bringing body and mind together along with all the benefits mentioned.

What is the best time to do Surya Namaskar?

The best time to do Surya Namaskar would be in the morning and performing Surya Namaskar before or during sunrise would be highly beneficial. Here are the benefits of practising Surya Namaskar in the early morning.

Can girls do Surya Namaskar?

Yes, absolutely! Here are the benefits for ladies or girls practising Surya Namaskar.

Should we do Surya Namaskar fast or slow?

Surya Namaskar when practised at a fast pace aids weight loss. When it is practised at a slow pace it helps you in improving flexibility. Depending upon the requirement, it can be practised at a slow or fast pace.

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