Are you — or someone you know — one of the many people today whose job requires long hours of sitting and typing? If your answer is ‘yes,’ make sure you know the serious health risks associated with prolonged sitting. In our blog, Love your Liver? Get up and move! – we discussed a study which found  that sitting for 10 hours or more a day may lead to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). To prevent NAFLD, it is important to reduce sitting time through physical activities like yoga — which features poses that are beneficial to your liver.

Try some yoga to keep your body and liver healthy. (Photo credit: MeditationMusic.net)

NAFLD is one of the most common liver diseases. It is a serious condition caused by the build-up of extra fat in the liver, which typically happens to people with sedentary practices, including extended periods of sitting. The accumulation of excess fat makes it difficult for the liver to breaking down fats into much-needed energy. To prevent NAFLD, incorporate a good diet and exercise into your daily routine.

Yoga (or asana in Sanskrit) is a great way to stay physically active even on tedious work days. Many physicians recommend yoga as an exercise to help improve general health and wellbeing. Certain yoga poses can stimulate the liver to function properly, helping other organs to work as well.  It’s also a relaxing way to stretch strained muscles and relieve stress after hours of sitting and typing on your desk, or driving. Yoga poses are easy to learn, simple to perform, and can be done at your own pace and comfort zone — at home, at the gym, or even in the office.

Here are some liver-friendly yoga poses that you can try —

Yoga Skull Breathing Exercise (Kapalbhati Pranayama): Breathing exercises are great in stimulating the liver. When done correctly, this yoga pose will help remove toxins, calm the mind, and keep depression away.

Seated Half-Spinal Twist (Ardha Matsyendrasana):  This pose targets abdominal problems such as indigestion, constipation, or urinary tract disorders. It helps relieve pain by pressing your abdomen where your largest organ, the liver, is located.  The spinal twist stretches the muscles on your back and hip, giving you a soothing relief from stiffness.

Bow Pose (Dhanurasana):  This pose also targets the abdominal area, which consequently stimulates the liver as well as other nearby organs such as the pancreas and small and large intestines. Since it is a bow exercise, your back also gets the benefit of a total workout. Back muscles are stretched and strengthened to allow flexibility and improve good posture.

For pre-yoga stretching, check out these warm-up exercises

For more liver-friendly moves, practice these yoga poses

For exercises you can do at work, try these office yoga moves

Remember to consult your physician before beginning any exercise program. And to ensure a healthy liver, ADRLF reminds you to: Screen, Vaccinate, Educate, Don’t Hesitate!