Yoga Poses And Workouts

Yoga Poses and Workouts

These yoga poses and workouts will realign your mind, your body, and your spirit. Plus, you'll build strength, increase your flexibility, and lose weight.

Try It Now: Yoga

Yoga exercises are still the perfect way to get strong, slim, and centered -- even after 5,000 years. Try this full-body workout.

Why You'll Love Yoga

• Your body weight provides all the resistance you need to strengthen and sculpt from head to toe.
• It's the perfect way to cross-train because it stretches tight muscles, increases range of motion, enhances balance, and improves alignment.
• It's good for your body and mind: Yoga boosts energy and calms you as it teaches awareness, focus, and patience.

How Yoga Works

The ideal yoga workout incorporates six types of poses, says Roger Cole, PhD, a psycho physiologist and yoga instructor. "Together, they improve alignment, strength, flexibility, and relaxation." Standing poses build strength and stamina. Balancing poses improve balance, of course, but also promote focus. Forward bends stretch back and hamstring muscles; back bends improve breathing. Twists aid in digestion and tone abs. And inversions increase circulation, leaving you calm yet energized. We've designed a program with one pose from each group, plus modifications to make it easier for newcomers. Do each exercise once in the order given.

1. Warrior II (standing pose)

Strengthens: Butt and thighs; stretches hips

• Stand with legs 3 to 4 feet apart, turning right foot out 90 degrees and left foot in slightly.
• Bring your hands to your hips and relax your shoulders, then extend arms out to the sides, palms down.
• Bend right knee 90 degrees, keeping knee over ankle; gaze out over right hand. Stay for 1 minute.
• Switch sides and repeat.

Make it easier: Leave your hands on your hips and don't bend your knee as deeply; instead, focus on lengthening the spine.

2. Tree (balancing pose)

Stretches and strengthens: Butt, thighs, calves, ankles, chest, and shoulders; improves balance

• Stand with arms at sides.
• Shift weight onto left leg and place sole of right foot inside left thigh, keeping hips facing forward.
• Once balanced, bring hands in front of you in prayer position, palms together.
• On an inhalation, extend arms over shoulders, palms separated and facing each another. Stay for 30 seconds.
• Lower and repeat on opposite side.

Make it easier: Bring your right foot to the inside of your left ankle, keeping your toes on the floor for balance. As you get stronger and develop better balance, move your foot to the inside of your left calf.

3. Downward Dog (partial inversion)

Stretches: Hamstrings and calves, strengthens shoulders

• Begin on all fours; press spread fingers firmly into the floor.
• Bring your knees off floor as you lift tailbone toward ceiling.
• Gradually straighten legs by shifting thighs back, pressing heels toward the floor.
• Press shoulders down and keep head between arms. Stay for 1 minute.

Make it easier: If you have tight hamstrings, keep your knees slightly bent or pedal your feet by alternating the heels toward the floor.

4. Wide-Legged Forward Fold (forward bend)

Strengthens: Thighs; stretches hamstrings and calves

• a. Stand with feet 3 feet apart, hands on hips.
• Inhale, then exhale and hinge forward from hips until chest is parallel to floor, hands on floor directly under shoulders.
• b. Exhale, then bend elbows and deepen stretch by lowering head toward floor, palms pressing down and upper arms parallel to the floor. Hold for 1 minute.

Make it easier: Support your head on a yoga block.

Tip: Keep your jaw soft and your shoulders pressed away from your ears, even when you're working hard in a pose. When you're relaxed, your muscles will release, which increases flexibility.

5. Bridge Pose (back bend)

Stretches: Chest and thighs; extends spine

• Lie on floor with knees bent and directly over heels.
• Place arms at sides, palms down. Exhale, then press feet into floor as you lift hips.
• Clasp hands under lower back and press arms down, lifting hips until thighs are parallel to floor, bringing chest toward chin. Hold for 1 minute.

Make it easier: Place a stack of pillows underneath your tailbone.

6. Seated Spinal Twist (twist)

Stretches: Shoulders, hips, and back; increases circulation; tones abdomen; strengthens oblique’s

• Sit on the floor with your legs extended.
• Cross right foot over outside of left thigh; bend left knee. Keep right knee pointed toward ceiling.
• Place left elbow to the outside of right knee and right hand on the floor behind you.
• Twist right as far as you can, moving from your abdomen; keep both sides of your butt on the floor. Stay for 1 minute
• Switch sides and repeat.

Make it easier: Keep bottom leg straight and place both hands on raised knee. If your lower back rounds forward, sit on a folded blanket.

Blast 550+ Calories Doing Yoga

This calorie-zapping yoga routine will melt away pounds while sculpting every major muscle in your body.

Lose Weight with Yoga

How much can yoga really do for you? A lot. Cyndi Lee, founder of OM Yoga in New York City, has designed a total-body routine that is a mind and body booster. The workout is built around the classic sun salutation series, with challenging core and upper- and lower-body variations added for a fat-blasting twist. Do the entire sequence four to five times through (keep at it for an hour) and you'll burn off the calorie equivalent of a banana split while sculpting your arms, chest, abs, butt, and legs and improving your flexibility.

How it works: Start and finish each circuit with a sun salutation, a four-move series done forward and in reverse that is the foundation of the workout. Every time you do this main series, you'll add a challenging variation to keep your heart rate elevated while toning your whole body. Each sun salutation, plus all of our variations, should take about 15 minutes.

Eight Minute Workout: Yoga for Better Sleep

Try this 5-move yoga routine to relax your body and mind before sleep. The best part? Each pose can be done in bed!

Upside-Down Relaxation

Minutes:0:00-2:00

• Sit facing a wall (or your headboard) with your butt about 6 inches away from it.
• Lie back and extend your legs up the wall.
• If this is too intense a stretch for your hamstrings, slide your butt farther away from the wall.
• If it's not enough, scoot closer.
• Let your arms rest by your sides, palms facing up, and breathe gently, feeling the stretch in the backs of your legs.

Winding Down Twist

Minutes: 2:00-3:00

• Sit cross-legged on the bed and exhale as you place your right hand on your left knee and left hand on the bed behind your tailbone.
• Gently twist your torso to the left.
• Allow your gaze to follow, looking over your left shoulder. Breathe deeply, then return to center and repeat on opposite side.

Nighttime Goddess Stretch

Minutes: 3:00-5:00

• Lie on your back with knees bent. Place the soles of your feet together, then let your knees fall open, forming a diamond shape with your legs.
  
• Rest your arms on the bed.
  
• If you feel any strain, elevate your legs by placing a pillow underneath each knee.

Child's Pose

Minutes: 5:00-7:00

• Sit up comfortably on your heels.
• Roll your torso forward, bringing your forehead to rest on the bed in front of you.
• Lower your chest as close to your knees as you comfortably can, extending your arms in front of you.
• Hold the pose and breathe.

Rock-a-Bye Roll

Minutes: 7:00-8:00

• Lying on your back, hug knees in to chest.
• Cross your ankles and wrap both arms around your shins with clasped hands.
• Inhale and rock your body up to sit; exhale as you roll back.
• Continue for 1 minute, then roll back, extend arms and legs, and drift off to sleep.

Affiliate Programs • Offers • Personals • Advertising • Shopping

src="http://ads.free-banners.com/images/hitslogo.gif" width=88 height=31 border="0">


border="0">


--- Insert your own text here! ---