Fitness enthusiasts have been encouraged to try the Yoga pose ’wheel’ - also known as the Chakrasana - on their Yoga mats in order to improve their overall fitness levels.

According to celebrity Yoga trainer Subodh Gupta, the challenging Yogasana pose, in which the body is arched back and supported on the palms and soles of the feet, is one of the most effective ways of increasing the strength of the upper body.

It is also an ideal way to develop the flexibility and strength of the spine and helps inspire a feeling of vitality and suppleness.

Yoga practitioners who use the wheel will also find that it strengthens the upper back, arms, shoulders, wrists, buttocks, thighs and abdomen.

According to Mr Gupta, the pose can also have a positive effect on the cardiovascular system, the thyroid and pituitary glands, as well as the glandular, digestive, respiratory and nervous systems.

In addition to helping improve physical wellbeing, it is also an excellent method of increasing spiritual wellbeing and acts as a counterbalance to depression, Mr Gupta maintained.

However, although the wheel pose is a healthy and moderately safe exercise method, prospective practitioners were urged to exercise caution.

It is not recommended for anyone with weak wrists, sufferers of back pain or those that have experienced back injury. Pregnant women are also advised against assuming the yoga pose wheel.

Those who have any doubts or concerns about their suitability to practice the wheel pose were advised to consult their doctors in the first instance.

Writing in the Huffington Post, screenwriter and children’s author Patricia Rust recently announced that Yoga meditation has helped to improve their concentration levels and has enabled her to put her life in perspective.

Posted by Freya Harper