Surya namaskars or sun salutations are considered highly beneficial to health. But should the pace of doing surya namaskar vary according to your fitness goals? On Instagram, meditation and yoga teacher Sonam Rawat claimed that one should do fast surya namaskars if weight loss is the goal. At the same time, slow or medium-paced sun salutations should be done when stretching is all the body needs.
So, we turned to face yoga expert Mansi Gulati to see if there was a difference.
“Globally, surya namaskar is well-liked and embraced. Contraction and relaxation of different body parts, as well as intake (holding breath inside) and expiration (holding breath outside), are all part of this fundamental and ideal form of exercise, which entails 12 yoga postures. In this type of exercise, physical activity is combined with the recitation of Suryamantra and Pranayam. It is reasonable to say that surya namaskar is the most ideal, complete, and effective type of exercise,” elaborated Gulati.
The 12 postures of Surya namaskar are Pranamasana, Hastauttanasana, Hastapadasna, Ashwa Sanchalanasana, Dandasana, Ashtanga Namaskar, Bhujangasana, Adho Mukha Svanasana, Ashwa Sanchalasana, Hastapadasana, Hastauttanasana, Tadasana.
Slow speed
Every pose is held for one to three minutes at this pace. “It allows us ample time to unwind, release tension, and produce the necessary flexibility, which ultimately helps us achieve the ideal positions. This type of exercise strengthens the spine, joints, and muscles. Up to the molecular level, the contraction and relaxation of different body parts has excellent effects both internally and externally,” said Gulati.
“We can perform 60–108 Surya namaskar repetitions at this tempo. This pace might raise your blood pressure and speed up your breathing and blood circulation. The metabolism is accelerated, which causes fat to be burned. The skeletal and muscular systems are strengthened by increased blood flow. It also aids in muscle toning,” said Gulati.
