Get Fit with Yoga: Top 10 Poses for Fitness

 

If you’re looking to get fit but not sure where to begin, you may want to try adding yoga to your fitness routine. This popular practice has the potential to give your body a total workout by targeting every muscle group, from your core to your arms, from your legs and hips down to your feet. Yoga can help give you more strength and flexibility, which are both important components of any workout plan that’s serious about giving you results.

 

1) Standing Forward Bend

The standing forward bend is a great pose to open up your hamstrings, quads, and lower back. This pose also improves circulation and helps stimulate the thyroid gland. Start in mountain pose and walk your hands down towards your feet. Bend at the hips and reach as far as you can while maintaining an upright posture. Hold this position for three deep breaths before coming out of it.

 

2) Crow Pose

A foundational pose, Crow Pose strengthens the upper back, shoulders, arms, and wrists. Sit on your mat and extend your legs out in front of you. Take a deep breath as you bend forward from your hips and place your hands on the ground about three feet ahead of you. Press down through your palms, straighten your arms, and lift yourself up so that only the balls of your feet are on the ground. Slowly bend one leg at a time until both knees are bent at 90-degree angles; then straighten both legs again to come out of the pose.

 

3) Downward Facing Dog

The downward-facing dog is one of the most popular and versatile poses in yoga. This pose is great for strengthening your lower back and legs, lengthening your spine, and deepening your breath. To get into this pose, start by standing on your hands and knees and then push into your palms while lifting up onto the balls of your feet. As you raise up onto the balls of your feet, spread them apart as wide as you can. You want to be in a straight line from shoulders to ankles at this point.

 

4) Forward Bending Triangle

This pose is a great way to stretch out your chest, back, and shoulders. It can be a little difficult to balance at first because you need good ankle strength and it takes balance to be able to do the pose. But with practice, you'll be able to get into the position without any problems. Start by standing on your mat in Tadasana (mountain pose). Bend your knees slightly so that you're stable and balanced. Slowly bend down from your waist and reach towards the floor as far as you can go while keeping your back straight. From here, take one hand and place it on the inside of one foot's ankle/heel while placing the other hand on top of it.

 

5) Warrior III

Warrior III is a standing pose that can increase flexibility in your hamstrings, hips, and spine while strengthening your arms and legs. It also helps improve balance, concentration, and stamina. This pose requires a lot of balance so be sure to keep your gaze focused on a fixed point in front of you to avoid wobbling.

Start by placing your feet about three feet apart from one another with your toes pointing forward. Place your hands on either side of the body making sure they are pressing firmly into the ground. Engage the abdominals by drawing them in towards the spine.

 

6) Plank Pose

The plank pose is an amazing pose that will strengthen your core muscles, increase balance, and even help you to think more clearly. The plank pose also strengthens your arms and develops strong shoulders.

A great way to do a plank pose is to get into a push-up position. Keeping your body in one straight line, extend your hands forward so they are flat on the ground. Make sure your toes are tucked under and that you have the same amount of weight on each arm. Slowly raise your body off the floor by balancing on one arm while keeping the other arm perfectly straight. Your back should be straight and you should look down towards the mat in front of you. Hold this position for as long as you can or until it becomes too difficult to maintain balance.

 

7) Child's Pose

Child's Pose is a popular pose in yoga because it has so many benefits. One of its main purposes is to give the body and mind a break from whatever they have been doing. When you are in this pose, your back will be parallel to the ground, and you'll extend your arms forward, placing your palms on the ground next to each other. You'll also extend one leg in front of you while extending the other leg out behind you, keeping both legs as straight as possible. This is a perfect time to breathe deeply and meditate on what it feels like to simply be still.

Child's Pose can help decrease stress levels and blood pressure while also improving digestion by giving the abdominal muscles time to relax and contract at an even pace.

 

8) Supine Spinal Twist

Dancer's Pose is a standing balancing posture that stretches the hamstrings, groin, and lower back. It is also a good way to get your breath back after intense exercise or when you are feeling lightheaded. The pose starts in the Mountain pose, then bends one leg while extending the other leg behind. Next, bend your torso forward until you are resting on your extended leg and arm; this is where you will focus on stretching the muscles of your low back and hamstrings. To get into Dancer's Pose from the Mountain pose, shift your weight onto one foot and extend your other leg behind you so that it makes a right angle with the ground. Bend at the hips to reach over towards the front foot until you feel a stretch in those muscles.

 

9) Bridge Pose

Bridge pose is a great exercise to strengthen the back and stretch out your spine. Lie flat on your back, bend your knees and plant your feet on the ground about hip-width apart. Your feet should be parallel to one another and about shoulder-width apart. Place your hands on the floor by your hips and push through the heels of your feet to lift up into bridge pose. Hold this position for five deep breaths before lowering down again, arching backward, and releasing tension from the back muscles.

 

10) Dancer's Pose

The dancer's pose is a relaxing, grounding pose that is also good for toning thighs and abs. It helps to align the spine while stretching the hamstrings and calves. The downward-facing dog pose is a similar stretch, but one leg at a time rather than both together. This can be easier on the wrists and shoulders if you have any discomfort there.

Start in a downward-facing dog, then lower your back knee down to the mat so that your foot rests flat on it. Now use your hands to push up into a plank position. From here press your right foot into the ground and bend your right knee until it lines up next to the left knee. Repeat this process on the other side of your body to complete one round of the dancer's pose.