Top 5 Yoga Exercises to Tone Your Body

 

Yoga may seem like it’s mainly about relaxation, but it can actually be very effective at building strength, endurance, and flexibility. If you’re looking to get stronger, get better endurance or simply improve your range of motion, these are the five best yoga exercises to try out!

 

1) Plank

The plank is a great beginner yoga pose and will tone your abs, back, shoulders, and arms. Start in a push-up position with your hands on the ground about shoulder-width apart. Press up onto your toes and lift your rear up off the ground. Keep your body straight from head to toe and squeeze your abs in tight for stability. Make sure not to arch your back or let it sag down toward the floor as this can cause lower back pain.

 

2) Child’s Pose

The first pose we will be going over is called Child’s Pose. This pose is a great way to stretch out your hips and back as well as release tension from the lower back. To get into this pose, lay on your knees and hug them into your chest with your arms wrapped around both of them, then sit back on your heels until you can feel a stretch in the lower back. Hold this for at least five minutes. Downward-Facing Dog: Downward-Facing Dog helps stretch out your upper body muscles, hamstrings, calves, and shoulders all at once. To enter this pose from standing, start by placing your hands flat on the ground shoulder width apart or wider.

 

3) Arm Raises

To tone your arms and shoulders, try arm raises. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and extend your arms out in front of you at chest height. Bend them at the elbow as you lift them up towards the ceiling, then lower them back down. Repeat this ten times. Make sure you’re lifting all the way up to a 90-degree angle so that you work all parts of your arm muscles. Plank: A plank is an exercise that really works all areas of your body, including core and upper body strength, which is perfect for toning! The position involves lying face down on a mat or floor with hands placed firmly underneath your shoulders, legs extended straight behind you (keeping hips aligned), toes tucked under the mat or ground - from here raise yourself on all fours.

 

4) Single Leg Extension

This exercise is great for your legs and lower body. Start by sitting on the floor with your back straight, and then cross one leg over the other. Place your hands on top of the thigh that is straight, and lean forward from your hips until you feel a stretch in the front of your hip of the bent leg. Slowly extend that leg up as you exhale, focusing on pushing all of the air out of your lungs before you perform this movement. Hold for five seconds before lowering it back down.

 

5) Mountain Climbers

Mountain climbers are a great way to work your core, hips, and thighs. Start in a high plank position with your hands under your shoulders. Then, step one foot out behind you as if you were about to lunge. Next, push up off the ground into a standing position and step the other foot back so it's next to the first one again. Repeat this movement by stepping both feet together, then stepping them apart and repeating the exercise.