Winter brings a variety of infections and diseases. To counter this, you must improve the functioning of your immune system. Many don’t know that practicing yoga can help boost immunity. With yoga, there is no excuse for bad weather as it can be easily done at home. All you need to do is roll out your yoga mat and begin your practice of asanas, pranayama, or meditation.

Adding yoga to our routine can significantly help to strengthen the body’s ability to fight sickness and diseases. Age is a number when it comes to adopting healthy habits into our lives. With the deadly pandemic preying on our lives, maintaining greater immunity is the ultimate goal.

The focus of the world right is on staying healthy – both physically and mentally. With numerous helpful yoga poses to boost the immune system, we all can take one powerful step towards staying fit.

For people unaware of the immunity system, it’s a defense mechanism of our body that’s reliable for protecting us from all kinds of infections and viruses. It not only functions in protecting our bodies from severe illness but is also a vital factor that helps us to keep mentally happy and healthy.

A strong immune system leads to the body’s overall strength to perform daily chores and remain relaxed as well as reduce stress. The best possible way of developing and maintaining a strong immune system is by doing yoga exercised every day.

So, here are a few asanas that are designed to give you the added benefits of increased immunity. They can help in preventing weight gain, boost immunity and maintain fitness during the winter season.

1. Dhanurasana

Dhanurasana or the Bow pose is one of the potent yoga poses to boost the immune system. It’s the first one inon the list and the most effective one. It works as the best stress buster as it improves the flow of white blood cells by putting pressure on the digestive system.

Doing Dhanurasana requires you to put pressure on your belly, which in turn helps to build up the digestive system. The term “Dhanu” means bow in Hindi while the asana means “position”, asking you to form your body into a bow shape as you lie on your stomach.

Here’s how to do Dhanurasana –

• Lie on the floor, on your stomach.
• Slowly, fold the knees up and hold the ankles using your hand.
• Try to lift your chest off the ground and pull your legs up and stretch it out.
• Hold the pose for 10 to 12 seconds, and breathe long and deep.
• Now, slowly release your chest and legs back to the ground.
• Repeat it 3 to 4 times every day.

2. Tadasana

Probably the simplest yet helpful for the nervous system, Tadasana is the most sought-after yoga exercise to boost immunity. It improves body posture and creates flexibility in the thighs and joints. Apart from being the best yoga poses to boost the immune system, it also helps to tone the abdomen and body muscles.

In Sanskrit, “Tada” means “mountain” while asana means “pose”. So, it’s also known by another name, called Mountain Pose. It’s an ideal yoga for seniors with weak back muscles and rounded backs as it helps to restore the body’s natural alignment.

Here’s how to do:

• Stand on your yoga mat, and place your feet slightly apart from each other.
• Hands in perfect alignment with your body.
• Inhale deeply, and slowly raise the arms upward then interlock the fingers.
• Lift your heels and stand on your toes.
• Stretch your body while looking in an upward direction.
• Place your body weight on the toes and strength the rest of the body up.
• Hold this pose for a few seconds.
• Exhale and return to the initial stage.

3. Vrikshasana

Vrikshasana or the Tree pose is a simple yoga practice that packs plenty of benefits to the immune system. Easily the best and effortless done yoga poses to boost immunity which you do at any location. Vrikshasana helps us attain a state of balance and strength in our bodies. It also reflects calmness and serenity to our mind and the body, if you had a hectic day, then this yoga would work wonders.

Here’s how to do:

• Stand straight and put your arms alongside the body.
• Bend the right knee and lift the right leg.
• Place the leg on the inner thigh of the left leg.
• Raise your arms over your head and inhale.
• Maintains a straight back posture and holds for a few breaths.
• Exhale and return to the first position.
• You can exchange the legs.

4. Shalabasana

Shalabhasana is one of the easy yoga asanas that improves and strengthens the spine, hip joints, lower back, legs, and pelvic organs of the body. It is widely used as the prime yoga pose to boost the immune system by boosting the blood flow to the spinal area. It creates an adequate amount of pressure on the abdomens and improves the body’s circulation.

Here’s how to do:

• Lie flat on your stomach and gently, stretch your arms outward.
• Maintain the knees straight and the feet together.
• Raise your legs and arm up together.
• Also, lift your head and try to slowly raise your chest off the floor.
• Hold this posture for a few seconds.
• Exhale and relax, then repeat the first step.

5. Anjaneyasana

This yoga pose is popular after the name of Lord Hanuman’s mother’s name “Anjani”. It’s considered the best yoga to boost the immune system that strengthens you both, physically and mentally. Regarded as the simple yoga poses for older adults that helps them to heal from muscles and joint pain. It also adds a great balance and positive impact on your knees.

Since it greatly helps and improves tension in the joints, it’s quite a powerful yoga poses for seniors that not only help with boosting immunity but are also helpful in joint and muscle pain. Practicing Anjaneyasana supports releasing tension from the hips, stretching the hamstrings, quads, groins, improving the knees, and building a strong mental focus.

Here’s how to do:

• Position your body straight.
• Place your left leg back and drop the knees while extending the toes out.
• Align your right knee with the right ankle.
• Push the pelvis downward and lift the arms over your head.
• Bend the upper body backward and form an arch-like shape.
• Stay in such a posture for a few seconds.
• Release and repeat the first step.