Strengthening is one of the many benefits of yoga. Some of the major muscle groups worked by yoga are the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes and abdominals. Try the poses below for something new or in addition to your workout regime.
To strengthen Quadriceps/Glutes try Chair pose or Warrior I
Chair Pose
- Feet slightly less than hip width, knees aligned with each other, toes pointed forward
- Biceps by the ears, keep the shoulders down and away from the ears
Hold for 30 seconds x 3
Warrior I
- Front foot pointing forward, heel in line with arch of back foot
- Bend knee, keeping knee over pinky toe side of foot
- Arms overhead, keeping shoulders down and back away from ears
Hold for 10 breaths
Triangle Pose for Hamstring Strength
. Front foot pointing forward, heel in line with arch of back foot
- Straighten both legs, rotate torso and open chest to the sky
- Shoulder blades pulled down and back, away from ears
- Fingertips point toward sky
- Hold for 10 breaths
Core Strength
High to Low Plank
- Hands underneath shoulders
- Engage core, glutes and back
- Roll forward onto toes and slower lower halfway with elbows bent by side
- Push back into full plank
- Repeat 10 times
