Yoga is a form of exercise that combines movements and breathing exercises to strengthen muscles, increase flexibility and calm the mind. Yoga can also help reduce stress and improve balance.
This intermediate routine focuses on building strength and balance through six poses. Begin in Down Dog and move through a series of balancing postures.
Stretches
When most people think about yoga, they often picture gentle stretching. While yoga does include many stretches, it also incorporates strengthening poses to create balanced workouts.
The balancing exercises of yoga increase muscle strength, which helps reduce injuries. It also increases flexibility, making it less likely that you’ll experience pain and stiffness as you age.
For example, Pyramid pose, or Urdhva Hastasana, is a standing forward bend that strengthens the thighs and lower back. To modify the pose, place a block on either side of the front foot to “raise the floor” to a height that your hands can comfortably reach. This makes the stretch more accessible for students with tighter hamstrings. It also provides a good stretch for the chest and shoulders. If the position feels challenging, try lowering the arms to your sides for a more restful variation. It’s a great finisher to any class, especially after high-impact exercise. You can also add a bolster lengthwise under the knees to support the upper body for a deeper stretch.
Strengthening
Yoga can strengthen your legs, arms, core and back, but the amount depends on the style of yoga you practice. Light yoga won’t build enough strength for a power-lifting competition, but more strenuous and muscle-building styles can be considered part of a strength training routine, as long as you avoid over- or under-loading the muscles.
Overloading the muscles means doing more than you usually do, which can cause injury. Underloading, on the other hand, results in muscle atrophy.
If you’re looking to build strength with yoga, try incorporating poses that challenge the muscles in your body, such as Warrior three, chair, high or revolved lunges and cobra. These will require a fair amount of strength to hold the pose for up to a minute. In addition, you can improve your strength by increasing the number of repetitions of each pose. For example, you can increase the number of times you perform 15 cycles of chair and down dog.
Flexibility
Flexibility is important in yoga because it helps ease tension and can reduce the risk of injuries. Yoga poses also require flexibility to elongate and stretch muscles, Evans says. You can test your flexibility by reaching down to touch your toes or stretching a muscle to its full length.
A lack of flexibility can prevent people from trying yoga, but incorporating a few simple moves into your daily routine can help you increase your range of motion and boost overall health. The best time to do stretches is early morning, when you’re fresh and more aware of your body, according to Fit&Well.
A few basic stretches crop up in nearly every yoga flow, including cat-cow, downward dog and child’s pose. These positions boost flexibility, strengthen core muscles and improve posture. If you’re not comfortable with any of these positions, talk to your instructor about modifications that can make them safe and effective for you. You’ll see the most flexibility gains by practicing regularly, and keeping a consistent schedule.
Meditation
While yoga moves your body, it also works with your mind to improve focus and self-awareness. It can even help you sleep better. Research shows that meditation has numerous health benefits, including lowering heart rate, blood pressure and cholesterol, and reducing anxiety, stress and depression.
Adding meditation to your practice can be as simple as sitting down and quietly repeating one word, called a mantra. Try the ancient Christian prayer word “Maranatha” – it has four equal syllables and can help calm your thoughts and keep you focused.
You can also meditate while you are still in a pose, such as Sukhasana (Easy Pose). Sit up straight with your legs apart and interlace your fingers or place them resting by your sides. Breathe deeply for 3-5 breaths. Try to find a quiet setting without any distractions, such as a quiet room or a spot outside where you can be alone.