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Why is “Legs Up the Wall” so popular?

I had decided to look up “legs up the wall” for relaxation and to deal with my back pain. I did not realize how popular it was. I saw so many YouTube videos and many articles on it; that I felt I was the only one missing out. I found this pose to be relaxing one when I had done a restorative relaxation class in yoga many years ago.

What is it?

It is actually called viparita Karani and is yoga pose. It is a Hatha yoga asana that is fully supported pose using the wall. Your legs go up on the wall while your upper body and the buttocks rest on a yoga mat or a blanket.

Who can and cannot do it?

It is a very easy pose that almost anyone can do it with few exceptions. It is not recommended for pregnant women, someone with cataracts, spinal injuries, or unmanaged high blood pressure. It is best to check with your physician.

It can be more difficult to do if you are obese or elderly with weak knees; but there are variation you can adopt. If it is hard to get onto the floor, for example , you can do it on your bed-putting your legs up the wall while your back rests onto the bed.

Where can be it be done?

As above stated it can be done on your bed, or on the floor. You don’t even need a wall available , you can use the back of your door to put your legs up. You can even use an ottoman in the living room or a chair from your dining room and bring your legs up half way; forming a 90 degree angle. It can be done just about anywhere.

When and for how long ?

It can be done at anytime, day or night. Some find it helpful to do it before bed as it helps them to sleep better . Because it is so relaxing- you can do it in the morning/night or when you are stressed. In addition, you don’t need a lot of time; it can be done for 5-20 minutes.

Why bother?

It helps to relax your mind and your body. The bloodflow downwards from your feet and legs helps with fatigue and circulation. The back laying flat on the mat start to becomes less tense and more straighter. No physical exertion is required to get these benefits. It helps to deal with stress and decreases anxiety. You don’t need to know how to do yoga or even like yoga in order to benefit from this pose.

My experience and why I want to continue doing this?

As I said I did this many years back but I found that it was not so easy as before. The first week I could not get my buttocks touching the wall; I also had to use a soft cushion for my one knee to get off the floor. The second week- I felt I was my back much more straighter when standing and my muscles had started to relax.

I tried to listen to a podcast and an audio book and the time went by very fast. However I prefer to just “veg out”. This was more relaxing for me.

The third week- I tried this pose at different times. I found that I liked it doing it before bed but I tend to be too tired to do the full 20 minute sessions. I also tried 10 min in AM and 10 before bed. I tried a small pillow under my head because my neck was tense.

The fourth week I started to look forward to my sessions and did not need a reminder.

In summary

I would say I made a good choice. I now consider this part of “me time” and actually look forward to it. Overall my back pain is almost gone, I do stand straighter and feel “taller”. I feel more relaxed overall; and If I do it before bed I sleep better. I have not missed a day for the past month and I plan to continue doing this everyday.

I started wearing my CPAP about 2 months back. CPAP is a machine that provides continuous oxygen while you sleep. I wish I had started few years earlier. Even though its only been a few months; I have started to feel about 10% better already.

The first few weeks I had to readjust the settings of the CPAP machine. A Respiratory therapist helped me to do that remotely over the phone. She found out that I was quitting using it after few hours online. This was because the water was spraying me through my mask and that was due to the humidity.

The respiratory therapist that helped me change the setting was following up on my day to day status. She then encouraged me to use the mask at least 5 hours minimum each night for the benefits.

I had to be patient with myself as 10% improvement was bit slow for my liking. The good news was my daytime sleepiness started to decrease and my daily activities of living started to increase slowely.

Daily activities of living are your every day tasks that most people take for granted until they can’t do them. These include activities to take care of yourself and your environment like showering, making meals, and washing dishes.

Few years before using the CPAP I began to do less and less of self care and daily household tasks because of fatigue and my overall poor health. It worsened to the point where one task like going to an appointment wore me out for the rest of the day. I became so exhausted that no amount of resting/napping was helpful or refreshing.

My sleep too started to became more more disruptive. I thought the sleep was my real issue all along because it seemed like a good answer. I had not known about my sleep apnea. It wasn’t until my usual Doctor’s visit that I remembered telling him about my snoring and we began to discuss my sleep issues.

The questions about my sleep reminded me about the time my niece had complained about my snoring when we had shared a hotel room during our family vacation several years ago. I never took it seriously.

My father had snored so loudly that as a kid, I just laughed at it. He also had daytime sleepiness and would fall asleep just watching tv.

What causes Snoring?

It could be related to many factors such as ageing, weight gain, hormonal, or sleep disorder. The Sleep Institute article written on Snoring on July 16/25 defines “snoring is when the air cant move freely through the nose and throat causing the surrounding tissues to vibrate and produce that familiar snoring sound.”

Initially my doctor asked me to record myself while sleeping. It wasn’t till few months later telling him about my failure y in self recording; that he put in a consult for a sleep study to be done.

The results led me to where I am today. It turns out that I had moderate sleep apnea which required a CPAP. I was relieved to know this because my sleep issues now could be resolved.

Poor sleep and excessive daytime fatigue had became my new normal . I also believed my Blood sugar and blood pressure was all related to this. The doctor s prescribed medication and lab tests every 3 months to check my A1c for my blood sugar and refill my prescriptions.

Its no wonder it takes a long time to figure out if someone has a sleep apnea and needs a CPAP. One reason may be that it difficult hear yourself snoring while you are sleeping. The poor sleep issues and daytime fatigue may have many causes and can be easily explained away. These include aging, stress, menopause, trauma, shift work and so on…

CPAP solution is a not very pleasant one to accept initially. I had a lot of anxiety in relation the the large equipment, feeling claustrophobic with the face mask, and being connected a machine with long tubing.

I was intimidated just thinking about it. I did not think I could sleep with a large machine. How was I going to take care of it when I was already worn down physically. I was lucky to know that my healthcare plan could pay for it because it cost about $3000 Canadian.

I did learn about the new advances in CPAP therapy devices. The mask was much smaller and lighter and more comfortable. The machine was way smaller than I had imagined, a fairly easy to manage and take care of.

I was followed up by a Respiratory therapist by phone and online. I also found the internet helpful. It took me a good month or so to become used to it; kind of like wearing glasses for the first time.

In summary, getting the needed oxygen while you sleep is extremely important; so if you are snoring and have increased daytime fatigue, decreased in daily activities of selfcare. It is worth your while to have your Doctor request a sleep study. Your answer may be sleep apnea and like me you may benefit from a CPAP.

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