Hanuman Dand A Full Body Exercise l How To Do it Perfectly

In today's busy world, people are so busy with their jobs and daily responsibilities that it has become hard to stay fit both physically and mentally. Due to this busy schedule and tiredness from work, sometimes it becomes difficult to take out time to go to the gym and exercise. 

I take myself as an example. For a long time, I want to start exercising and become fit. I would get motivated and plan to hit the gym starting from the next Monday or the first day of the next month. But when that day arrives, all my motivation fades away because of work tiredness or other reasons. 

After COVID-19 hit the world, people started understanding the importance of having good health. More people have started exercising at home or in the gym. People have also started adopting new ways of exercising, like Yoga, Zumba, sports and many more. Surprisingly, many people have also started adopting the traditional methods of exercising. Some of the popular traditional methods are the Mudgar exercise, Hanuman Dand or dandasana, Ram Murti Dand and many more. 

These forms of traditional fitness methods are trending these days. People are getting more attached to ancient methods, and their curiosity to learn old things is growing quickly. People have now started to understand the importance and benefits of choosing the old traditional methods to stay fit as they do not require going anywhere and can be performed only in your home. 

In today's blog, we will talk about the Hanuman Dand or Dandasana, one of the famous and great traditional exercises. If you are someone who loves to do exercise, yoga, and similar activities, or if you're looking for a technique that is not just regular exercise you perform every day but has a lot of health benefits, you will love this article. We will look into what Hanuman Dand really is, the benefits of Hanuman Dand, a step-by-step process of how to perform it, and the disadvantages it has. So, without any further delay, let's start this guide. 

Let us first understand what the Hanuman Dand really is. 

What is Hanuman Dand: A Detail Understanding

Hanuman Dand is an ancient dynamic bodyweight exercise that provides a dynamic and powerful workout that targets the entire body. The Hanuman Dand is generally connected to the Hindu God, Lord Hanuman, who is known for his remarkable strength and agility. The Hanuman Dand is also known as Hindu Push-up, Hanuman Push-up and Hanuman Pranam.

Nowadays, the Hanuman Dand is not commonly practiced by modern yogis or yoga gurus. Hence, it remains a highly valuable exercise that offers both strengthening and stretching benefits. Our ancestors used this ancient exercise to train back in old times. 

The Hanuman Dand consists of two words: "Hanuman," which refers to the Hindu God, and "Dand," which is a Sanskrit word meaning stick or rod. The word "Dand" is a commonly used word that we can find in our old Hindu iconography and Yoga as well, such as Dandasana. 

Many people also got confused and believed that Hanuman Dand and Hanumanasana were both the same. Yes, both might share some common pose and the name of Lord Hanuman, but they are both different asana/exercises.

How to do Hanuman Dandasana: Step-by-Step Process

Hanuman Dand is a beneficial and powerful exercise, but it should always be performed with care and attention to ensure safety. To get its full benefits, it is important to perform the exercise in a proper form and with proper steps. Yes, the exercise may look simple to perform, but correctly doing it on your own as a beginner is difficult. Proper form and steps are the Key to avoiding strain and injuries while performing the Hanuman Dand. 

Here is the Step-by-Step Guide to Performing Hanuman Dand:

1. Preparation: Begin the exercise by spreading a mat or a Dari on the floor to provide a stable surface and space. Lie down on the ground on your stomach, ensuring that your body is fully aligned. This helps to create a comfortable foundation for your exercise. 

2. Had Placement: Place your hands on the ground beneath your shoulders. It is important to position your fingers so that they are facing forward, with no bending at the knuckles. By this, you are preventing unnecessary strain on your wrists. 

3. Leg Position: Keep your legs straight with your heels together. Your feet should be positioned so that your body forms a straight line from head to toe. 

4. Starting Posture: Now, move to a position similar to regular push-ups. In this posture, your arms should be extended beneath you, and your body should form a straight line. 

5. Movement: Now bring your right foot towards your left hand. This movement should be controlled and engage your core for stability. Now, slowly lower the chest towards the ground and move it up and down in a fluid motion, as if you are performing a push-up.

6. Repeat the step with the other Leg: After completing the movement with your right foot, return to the starting position and repeat the movement with the left foot. Bring your left foot forward to your right hand and move the chest up and down in the same controlled manner. 

7. Repetition: Perform the Hanuman Dand from both legs 10 to 12 times per set for three sets daily to build strength and flexibility. 

If you are looking to modify this exercise further, use the Shena Push-up board to give different variations to the Hanuman Dand for better results. You can also check out the video guide below to understand it properly. 

Check our Mudgar Club Shena Push-up board from here -> Shena Push-up Board

Benefits of Hanuman Dand Exercise

Hanuman Dand is an incredibly beneficial ancient exercise that targets multiple muscle groups at the same time and promotes overall health and wellness. There are many benefits of Hanuman Dand, as it strengthens the chest, shoulders, triceps, and core muscles and provides a full body workout. By performing this ancient exercise, you can build muscle strength, improve endurance, and enhance your overall physique.

More detailed points on benefits of Hanuman Dand are as follow: 

1. Deep Hip Opening: Similar to the Lizard Pose with straight arms, Hanuman Dand provides a deep stretch to the hips flexors, ground, and inner thighs. This stretch improves flexibility and helps to release built-up tension in the hips section.

2. Core Strength: The Hanuman Dand is an excellent exercise to engage the core muscles, including the abdominals, obliques, and lower back. Practicing the Hanuman Dand properly and regularly leads to a stronger core, which in turn improves posture, balance, and coordination. 

3. Upper body Strength: Holding the pose for a longer period requires good strength in the arms, shoulders, and chest. The actions of keeping your body aligned straight like a line while transitioning the legs challenge and strengthen the upper body muscles. By practicing it regularly, it improves upper body endurance and muscular strength. 

4. Stability Enhancement: One of the best features of the Hanuman Dand is the stability it requires in the wrists, arms, and shoulders. As it requires holding the upper body in a straight line while switching the legs and jumping to the outside of the arms, the body must work to maintain balance. In the long term, it helps improve the stability of the body. 

5. Increase Mobility and Flexibility: As the pose targets the hip joints, it promotes flexibility and an increased range of motion in the hips. For a person like an athlete, runner, or those with tight hip muscles, this exercise is especially beneficial. 

6. Stretches the Hamstrings: While doing the exercise, the back leg remains straight with the kneecap engaged. This exercise stretches the hamstrings deeply. This stretch helps to improve the flexibility in the back of the legs. Also, it helps in reducing the tightness that generally builds up in individuals who do activities like running, cycling, or sitting for a longer period. 

7. Opens Chest and Heart Space: Lifting the chest and extending the arms, opens the chest and the heart area. It promotes better posture and emotional openness. This is one of the important Kundalini kriya, which activates the heart chakra. 

8. Releases Emotional Blockages: The exercise helps target the hips, which hold the emotional tension. Practicing the Hanuman Dand regularly helps to release the emotional blockage, promoting emotional healing and grounding. 

Risk Factor while Performing Hanuman Dand

While there are so many health benefits to performing the Hanuman Dand, we should also keep the contraindications of doing the exercise in mind. 

As we have shared the step-by-step guide on how to do Hanuman Dand, it is still a very challenging exercise, and we recommend that you start slowly by perfecting each step or performing it under the guidance of skilled or experienced practitioners. 

Also, if you have any of the following conditions, kindly do not practice the Hanuman Dand: 

1. Wrist or Shoulder Injuries: While practicing the Hanuman Dand, it places pressure on the wrists and shoulders, so if you have any of these injuries or conditions prior, you should be careful and consider modifying the pose. 

2. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: If you are going through Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, you can strain the wrist, which might make it worse. 

3. Recent Surgery or Injuries: If you have gone through any surgery or injury In recent times, it is recommended to talk to a doctor regarding an experienced yoga instructor before starting your hanuman and practice. 

4. Pregnancy: At the time of pregnancy, kindly avoid doing the Hanuman dand or any pose which might put pressure on the abdomen. 

5. High Blood Pressure (BP): The Hanuman Dand requires strong upper and core strength, which might raise blood pressure. If you have an issue of high BP, be cautious. If your blood pressure is not managed with medication, avoid this pose and do simple breathing yoga practice to control your Blood pressure. 

6. Spinal or Back Issues: If you have conditions like herniated discs or lower back pain, it is best to modify or skip the hanuman, which might give you more strain or injury. 

Final wording: A Guide on Hanuman Dand or Dandasana

In conclusion, in this busy world where people have very little or no time to exercise to maintain their physical health, adding a traditional exercise like the Hanuman Dand as a daily workout can give you a strong full-body exercise, improving strength, flexibility, and balance. This ancient exercise helps to build core strength, better posture, and emotional health. There are so many more benefits of this exercise that we can not even tell you here. 

The best part of doing this exercise is that it does not require any tool. You can do it at home without any special equipment. But yes, if you want to add more spice and get more benefits from it, you can use the Shena push-up board. 

Also, it is important to know that yes, there are many benefits of doing the Hanuman, but the right way and with proper steps is important to avoid any injuries. 

By doing this ancient exercise, you not only get fitter but are also connected with proven traditional practices that help you improve your overall health. So with this, we will end this guide, and we will bring more and more ancient exercises that you can incorporate into your workout routine. To do so, kindly visit our site, Mudgar Club, and view our premium products and more informative blogs.

FAQs: Hanuman Dand

1. How is Hanuman Dand different from normal Push-ups? 

The Hanuman Dand and normal push-ups are very much different. The Hanuman Dand incorporates a more dynamic movement that engages a wider range of muscles, including the core and lower body, requiring greater flexibility in the spine and shoulders. On the other hand, the normal push only gives you two movements up and down. 

2. How many Hanuman Dand should we perform in a day? 

If you are beginners you can start with performing 5 to 10 dands. After some time it is recommended to perform 10 to 20 Hanuman Dands per day. You can increase this number by time. 

3. Can a Female do Hanuman Dand? 

Yes, females can do the Hanuman Dand. It is a bodyweight exercise with many health benefits. If you are a woman it is a great exercise for building overall strength and flexibility.