6 Yoga For Toning Poses For You To Try

So you want to have a leaner and toner body? I bet you are curious about what the best exercise is to achieve this goal.

While it is true that there are tons of exercises out there that are meant to tone your body, doing yoga can do the job too. Yes, that’s right! With various yoga poses, you can certainly strengthen and develop your body’s major groups of muscles.

I know you are getting excited, so here you go with the best yoga toning poses that you can practice starting today:

Downward-Facing Dog

Downward-facing dog is one of the most popular yoga poses and its benefits are vast. This exercise tones not only your legs and arms but also your hips, hamstrings, and calves as long as you do it properly and consistently. It can help you reduce back pain while strengthening your spine and shoulder girdle.

To get it done, bend over from a standing position, putting your hands on the floor. You can bend your knees a little bit if you need to. Move your hands forward, about 4 feet away from your toes. Hold the pose for 20 to 30 seconds.

Plank Pose

If it is your midsection that you want to tone, doing the plank pose twice or thrice a week will surely do the job.

Starting on all fours, step one foot back, followed by the other. Breathe naturally as you squeeze your quads and glutes at the same time. Hold this posture for one to three minutes. You can do this for up to five times and rest in between if needed.

Bridge Pose

To target the muscles on your abs and thighs, do the bridge pose. Start by laying flat on your mat with your arms on the side. Slowly bend your knees and try to get your heels as close as possible to your butt. Push your feet into the floor as you lift your lower back up. Hold that position for about two to three breaths before lowering your body back down. Repeat for up to five times.

Chair Pose

Do you want to do a real quads burner? Chair pose is the answer! Your quadriceps and gluteal muscles will definitely feel the burn. As the name implies, you can do this move as if you were sitting on a chair. Hold it for up to 8 breaths, go back to the starting position, and do it again.

Crescent Lunge

The crescent lunge is an incredible way to tone your upper body, legs, and glutes. It can also help improve your flexibility and stability while strengthening your core muscles.

Locust Pose

The locust pose is another useful yoga move that can tone your body. It strengthens your spine, glutes, as well as the backs of your arms and legs, including all the muscles that surround your ribs and torso. While it stretches the muscles in your abdominal region, it tones your uterine muscles. It is quite beneficial for the endocrine system, particularly your adrenal glands.