7 Muscle-Toning Yoga Poses To Try

If you are looking for a way to tone your muscles, yoga is a great option.

Yoga can be challenging, but it’s also one of the most effective ways to gain strength and tone your muscles without lifting weights or doing repetitive calisthenics. If you want to tone your upper body, yoga poses can do it.

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Yoga poses for toned muscles

Here’s a look at seven of those poses:

Chair Pose #1

How to do it:

• Begin in Mountain Pose (Tadasana).
• Exhale as you raise your arms above your head, bringing them together and interlocking your fingers.
• Inhale and straighten your arms as you lean slightly forward with a flat back.
• Allow your weight to drop into a squat position and lower yourself until both knees are at a 90-degree angle. If that’s hard for you, keep your knees bent until you build strength in your muscles.

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#2 Warrior I

Warrior I is a yoga pose that requires a lot of strength, balance, and flexibility. This pose can be done on a yoga mat or with the help of a yoga block.

Warrior I is a pose that strengthens your arms and shoulders. Also called the “warrior stance.” To perform this pose, start by lifting one leg and longing forward with it.

Keep your back arched and raise your arms. Bring your palms together above your head and hold for 15 to 30 seconds, or as long as possible.

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#3 Dog looking up

Upward Facing Dog is a foundational yoga pose that is great for strengthening your arms, shoulders, and core.

It also stretches your chest muscles, which can help relieve back pain. The pose resembles an inverted image of a dog stretching; is easy to see why. This pose is best done after warming up with some sun salutations or other asanas (yoga postures). However, it is also ideal for beginners, as it does not require previous experience or flexibility.

To do upward-facing dog, start in tabletop position by placing your palms on the floor so that each hand rests directly below each shoulder joint. Then lift your chest up in the air until it forms a diagonal line with your body; keep both legs parallel to each other throughout the process.

Tilt your head up so you’re looking at the ceiling or the sky, depending on how flexible you are. Hold this position while breathing deeply through pursed lips until all those hard-earned muscles start burning like crazy.

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#4 Ananda Balasana (Happy Baby)

Here’s how to do this exercise:

• Begin by lying on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor.
• Bring one leg toward your chest, bending it at the knee so your foot rests on or near your opposite thigh.
• The other leg can also be straight or bent in any position that is comfortable for you (knees wide apart or together). If that’s too hard for you, bend both knees and bring them toward your chest instead of bringing one leg up toward the ceiling. That will make it easier to maintain the posture while exercising your muscles.
• Place a loosely rolled towel under each heel, if needed for comfort and balance during the pose.
• Bring both hands together behind one knee (or both knees) above where they meet at the hipbone. You don’t need to pull very hard here, just enough so that they stay firmly in place without slipping.

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#5 Viparita Karani (Legs Up Wall Pose)

The ‘Leg up the wall’ pose is a relaxing and effective way to stretch your lower back, hips, and hamstrings. It’s also great for relaxing your mind and can help you fall asleep at night.

To do this pose:

• Lay a blanket on the floor next to a wall to make it comfortable for your body to rest against the wall in this position.
• Lie with your back flat against the floor and slide down until you feel your butt is about two inches from the edge of the blanket, as well as about two inches from where it meets the wall (the space between them should be wide enough for both feet).
• You may want to fold an extra piece of cloth or towel, which will serve as padding between you and the floor. That will make lying here significantly more comfortable.
• Stretch both legs by firmly pressing each heel.
• You may need someone nearby who can support your legs as you do this step so that your legs don’t come out of position too quickly before you’re ready for the pose.

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#6 Garudasana (eagle pose)

To do this exercise, start in Dandasana (Staff Pose) and drop to your knees.

Bring your left leg forward; place it on the ground and raise your right leg behind you. Bring both arms out in front of you with palms facing up. Interlace the fingers of each hand around the wrist of the other hand.

Keep your elbows straight but relaxed as you look over them at one point for balance (you can place a block or brace between your elbows if it helps). Breathe deeply as you hold this pose for six to ten breaths before switching sides.

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#7 Marjaryasana/Bitilasana (Cat and Cow Pose)

This pose strengthens the spine, stretches the spine and muscles, and improves digestion and muscle tone.

This is how you do it:

• Start on your hands and knees, with your wrists below your shoulders and your knees below your hips.
• Rest your belly against the floor. Inhale as you rise through the chest, looking up at the ceiling or sky.
• Exhale as you twist like a cat by tucking your tail under yourself and toward your body as you push down on all four limbs (keep them straight).
• Hold for five breaths at each point of movement; repeat five times.

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Put off

The yoga poses mentioned above are great for building and toning muscles.

They’re simple enough to do at home or in the office, but they can make a world of difference in your life.

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