6-minute PHitness: Yoga for PAH

[Video title—6 Minute PHitness – Yoga for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension]

[Disclaimer: NOT FOR MEDICAL USE

Please consult with your physician or healthcare provider before performing any of the videos to make sure it is appropriate for your needs. Do not perform any of the videos if your physician or healthcare provider advises against it. These videos are offered for educational purposes only and do not substitute for, nor replace professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you engage in these videos, you agree that you are doing so at your own risk. IN THE EVENT OF A MEDICAL EMERGENCY, PLEASE CALL EMERGENCY SERVICES IMMEDIATELY.]

Welcome to 6-Minute PHitness, a low-impact workout where the only thing you’ll ever need is your own body resistance, a chair or two, and six minutes. Let's get PHit!

Sit at the edge of your chair, hands rested on your lap. [On-screen text: Alli C., PHitness Instructor] As you begin to inhale through the nose, fill the body with air. As you exhale through the mouth, empty the air completely. Keep the steady breath throughout your workout. Inhale, exhale, arms up overhead, deep inhale. Grab one wrist, grow tall, and bend from the waist, feeling the stretch in your left side.

Come back to center, switch wrists, and grow tall before bending to the left, feeling the stretch in the right side. Come back to center, inhale and exhale as you lower the arms to your sides. Inhale, exhale, lift the arms, inhale, and fold forward, chin to chest. Lift the chin, exhale, and lower. Inhale, arms reach out and up. Exhale, hands lower. And again.

Let the breath carry the movement. Inhale to the top and exhale to lower. Inhale, arms to the top, and exhale. Fold forward to the second chair. Lift off the chair, straightening your legs, feeling a stretch in the hamstrings. Gently pedal the legs to increase the stretch and loosen up the hips. As you press your chest down to the floor, pull away from the chair just slightly to add the stretch in your spine.

Exhale, sit down on the chair, inhale to the top, exhale to lower. Bring your hands to your chest. As you press into the midline, twist to the left. Hinge forward, resting the elbow on the outside of the knee. Option to stay here for the stretch or open the arms, feeling a deeper twist in the spine.

Bring the body upright and to twist back to the center before moving to the other side. Keep through the spine, growing tall in all directions. Pull the right knee into the chest, grab the ankle, and place it onto your left knee. Pressing the right knee down to your lowest point.

Grow taller as you feel the stretch to the outer hip. Raise the knee back to the chest and grab the big toe with your first two fingers of your right hand.

[On-screen text: beginner] Extend the arms straight out from the shoulder. [On-screen text: intermediate] For a greater stretch, lengthen the leg as straight as you can. Raise the knee back to the chest before replacing to switch sides. With every change, keep growing taller from the top of the head to increase the stretch in the back of the leg. [On-screen text: advanced] For the biggest challenge, carry the leg to the side, opening the hip. Replace the feet, hip-width, grab the front edge of the chair, and round through the lower back.

Engage your core as you lift the right leg up to your highest point, release the arms forward, pulling the abs tighter to the spine. As you release the leg, bring the body upright, inhale and exhale before switching sides. With the knee up to the chest, think of folding yourself in half. Abs pulling deeper every exhale. For the greatest challenge, engage the entire core as you lift your heels or toes off the ground.

Inhale, exhale, lift the arms. Inhale and fold forward. Chin to chest, inhale, lift the chin, exhale lower. Inhale arms, reach out and up, exhale, hands lower. And again. Let the breath carry the movement. Inhale to the top and exhale to lower. With hands rested on your lap, bring focus to your breath to finish.

Big inhale through the nose and exhale through the mouth.