A good yoga workout can help you improve your balance and strength, while also providing a gentle form of exercise. But will it help you meet the CDC’s recommended 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity and two days of muscle-strengthening exercise each week?
Some yoga classes may not increase your heart rate enough to count as cardio exercise, according to one before-and-after study. That doesn’t mean that your class won’t help you get stronger, however.
Lunge
Lunges are a great exercise that mimic the movements and muscle activation of many daily activities, including climbing stairs, getting in and out of your car or kneeling to pick something up off the floor. They strengthen, sculpt and build multiple muscles/muscle groups, including the quads, gluteus maximus and hamstrings.
To do a lunge, stand with your feet hip-width apart. Then, take a step forward with your right leg. If it feels comfortable, the back knee can come to rest on the mat to ease any pressure on the front knee joint. If you are new to this pose, hold the pose for shorter periods of time and gradually increase your duration. Crescent lunge challenges your balance, deepens the stretch in your hip flexors and opens your chest and shoulders.
Child’s Pose
Child’s Pose, or Balasana, is a restful yoga posture that helps to reduce lower back, neck and shoulder tension. This forward fold can also promote mindfulness and teaches you to slow and steady the breath.
You can modify child’s pose to suit your needs. For example, some people find it more comfortable to widen the knees apart for a deeper stretch in the hips or to use a rolled towel or blanket under the knees for padding and support. You can also stack your hands or reach them down toward the floor if that feels more comfortable for you.
It’s also a good posture to use in a yoga session as a break between more strenuous poses or if you need a moment to catch your breath.
Warrior II
Warrior II (Virabhadrasana 2) strengthens and tones the hip flexors, inner thighs, and back leg muscles. It also helps to stretch the chest and shoulders, increasing breathing capacity and improving posture. The pose challenges balance and requires a steady gaze, which develops concentration.
The erector spinae muscles, which run the length of the lumbar and cervical spine, are activated in this pose. These muscles help to straighten the spine and provide side-to-side rotation, which can decrease back pain.
For those who have difficulty with the angle of the front knee, a block can be placed under the knee to support it. This can also reduce strain on the ankles and feet and make the pose more accessible to beginners. Once mastered, this posture provides a great transition into Warrior III, Reverse Warrior or Extended Side Angle Pose.
Tree Pose
Tree Pose, or Vrksasana, is a great way to improve your balance. It strengthens the legs and core, while opening the hips and stretching the inner thigh and groin muscles. It also helps to improve balance overall, which is especially beneficial for people with certain health conditions, like high blood pressure.
The key to success in Tree Pose is to focus on distributing your weight evenly across both feet, keeping the lower back neutral and not arching it. It’s also important to keep the abdominal muscles engaged. To help with this, try fixing your gaze on a still point in front of you.
If you find that your balance is off, don’t be afraid to come out of the pose and try again. Over time, you’ll build up to the point where you can hold the pose without losing your balance.
Camel Pose
Camel Pose, also known as Ustrasana in Sanskrit, is a backbend and chest opener that strengthens your back muscles and helps you improve your posture. It can also help relieve back pain.
This pose requires the full range of your yoga practice, including hip flexor and quadriceps strength as well as shoulder and chest flexibility. It’s a good idea to warm up with stretches like pigeon pose or bow pose before attempting this backbend, says Meredith Weiss, physical therapist at Kioko Therapy in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Teachers may cue this yoga posture toward the middle or end of class, when you’re warm and ready to stretch and open your body. You can also use props to support your back and deepen this posture. The goal is to move into a backbend that feels safe and comfortable.