How Can Yoga Help in Strengthening and Toning Your Body?

Has your weak core and incorrect posture been bothering you a lot? If yes, then you are at the right place.

Yoga has been proven beneficial not just for weight loss but also for improving core strength, sculpting the muscles, and making you stronger overall. To understand how yoga helps you achieve all of these as well as how to make the most of your Yoga classes let us dive deep into its basics.

What is Yoga?

The word Yoga finds its origin in the Sanskrit word Yuj, which means ‘to join.’ Therefore, Yoga is a practice that exercises both your mind and body. Not only is it an excellent choice for maintaining a healthy heart and lean muscles, but it also ensures improved mental health. If you have been practicing Yoga for a long time, you will notice improvement in your stress and anxiety levels.

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How does Yoga improve strength and tone muscles?

As a holistic form of exercise, Yoga is known for strength-building and increasing lean muscles. The more physical and intense types of Yoga poses are directly linked to increased flexibility, balance, and core strength. However, this practice takes time and patience, so if you want to see fast results in your back, arms, and glutes, you might want to add strength training, proper diet, and cardio to the mix.

What are the 4 Yoga poses that help strengthen and sculpt your body?

Among the various postures and exercises that Yoga consists of, we have picked and compiled the top 4 exercises that perfectly meet your needs. Now, you do not have to search for different poses and their benefits while attending your Yoga classes.

1. Tree Pose

This is an extremely easy exercise to build your posture and balance. Repeating this a few times will help you achieve great agility and eventually sculpt your body.

Difficulty Level: 1/5

Step-by-step guide

1. Stand straight and inhale.
2. First, take your right leg and place your feet on your upper thigh. If you cannot reach the upper thigh try to rest your feet on your knees.
3. Stretch your arm upwards and join the palms before moving it downwards to your chest.
4. Repeat the pose several times.

Modifications

• If you face problems with your leg, you may keep your legs straight down.
• If you want to make it more difficult, you can add ankle weights. This will further help develop your calf muscles.

When to avoid the pose?

If you face severe ankle issues or ligament injuries, it is best to avoid the exercise.

2. Plank

A classic plank is a great way, even for beginners, to strengthen your cores and improve your posture.

Difficulty level: 2.5/5

Step-by-step guide

1. Start with sitting down.
2. Then, stretch your body on the ground and keep it up with the support of your arms and feet.
3. Hold it for at least a minute. However, beginners might need more practice before they can hold a plank for a minute.
4. Make sure your arms or legs are not too outstretched.
5. Also, ensure your is parallel to the floor and avoid curling up your back.

Modification

• If the plank position is bothering you might want to drop your knees. This will help you distribute the weight and prepare you for the pose.
• If you have already aced the plank position you might want to try the side-facing plank. All you have to do is turn to one side and balance your body on that side’s arms and feet.

When to avoid the pose?

If you suffer from lower back issues or have wrist sensitivity, you might want to avoid the plank pose.

3. Dolphin push-up

A few repetitions of Dolphin push-ups can help you achieve the muscle strength you have been looking for.

Difficulty level: 3/5

Step-by-step guide

1. Start with the downward-facing dog posture
2. Move forward to a plank position
3. Drop your knees on the mat and bend forward till your forehead touches the mat. Beginners might need some time to achieve this posture.
4. Ensure your forearm is outstretched and parallel to the mat.

Modification

• If you are facing trouble with the dolphin push-up, you might want to take time between the position changes.
• For those who find it easy, challenge yourself by stretching a leg upwards during the downward-facing dog posture and bringing it back so that your knee touches your chin.

When to avoid the pose?

If you face upper or lower back issues, sensitive knees, and shoulder problems, you may want to consult an expert or avoid it.

4. Crow Pose

Crow pose is another exercise you can try if you are planning on toning your arms, shoulders, and abs.

Difficulty level: 4.5/5

Step-by-step guide

1. Inhale while standing straight and stretch your arms first sideways and then upwards.
2. Now bend your back forward and touch the mat.
3. Balance your weight on the back of your upper arms. First, lift one leg and then another.
4. Stay in the position for some time before slowly reversing the steps to reach the standing position.

Modification

• If you find this difficult, it is better to reach out to professionals for proper guidance.
• Planning on trying a difficult level? Try the sideways crow pose. But we would recommend not trying this at home since it requires expert attention. At Sports West Yoga sessions, you will be guided by expert personal trainers who will make sure your exercises do not threaten your health.

When to avoid the pose?

If you have wrist, shoulder, or arm-related problems, it is best to avoid this exercise.

Do you need an experienced professional to carry out these exercises?

The simple answer is yes. No matter how uncomplicated an exercise or how little your back aches, doing a Yoga exercise wrong can cause long-term harm such as hamstring pulls. Moreover, to reap the maximum benefit, it is important for you to learn when to inhale and exhale; this is something only an experienced professional can guide you through.

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Ready to start your Yoga journey? Sports West Athletic Club is here to help you make the most of it.

At Sports West Athletic Club, we offer Yoga classes for beginners, intermediates, and even experts. With our wide range of Yoga sessions such as Restorative Yoga, Surrender Yoga, Power Yoga and strength training studio in Reno we make sure that your mental and physical health is at an optimal level.

Under the supervision of our experts, you can achieve your body and mind goals without any fear of injury, making us the best Yoga Studio in Reno. We are available 24*7 to meet your needs, so contact us now to unlock the best version of yourself.