Yoga Exercises For Relaxation and Strengthening Your Core

Aside from the physical benefits of yoga, it also increases mental clarity and improves your ability to focus. The practice can be as intense or calming as you desire, and it can be done anytime of the day.

Most yoga poses build muscle strength, particularly in the arms and core. Studies show that yoga improves balance and can help prevent injuries.

1. Breathing Exercises

Breathing exercises help improve lung function and relieve stress and anxiety. They also help reduce fatigue, boost energy levels, and support a healthy immune system.

4-7-8 breathing, or pranayama, is a common yoga breathing exercise that’s believed to promote relaxation and help people fall asleep faster. While there’s limited scientific research on this technique, many people who practice it say it eases stress and anxiety and helps them sleep better.

The arms and legs are a key area of strength in yoga, with poses like plank and warrior pose requiring you to support your body weight with your hands. This helps build muscle tone and balance. And yoga often ends with a short period of meditation, which calms the mind and helps you relax.

2. Leg Lifts

Leg lifts strengthen the muscles in your core and hip flexors. They can also increase circulation, which may help relieve restless leg syndrome. Lankford recommends doing these seated exercises slowly and with caution to avoid injury.

The most common mistake people make when doing leg lifts is arching their backs, which can strain the hips and spine. To prevent this, you should keep the lower back pressed into the exercise mat throughout the movement and only lower your legs as close to the ground as possible without touching it.

To make the exercise more challenging, you can try lowering and lifting one leg at a time or alternating between each leg. The latter option is especially effective for strengthening the thighs and calves. Legs up the wall pose is another good option for increasing flexibility and decreasing swollen feet caused by long periods of standing.

3. Back Stretches

Back pain and stiffness are common in daily life, but gentle stretches can help relieve the discomfort. Lie on the floor with a rolled-up towel placed under your head or at the back of your neck and extend one leg out straight, placing your hand behind the extended foot to feel a stretch in your lower back muscles.

Repeat this exercise on both sides, aiming for three to five sets.

This yoga pose gently stretches the hips, thighs, and spine while promoting relaxation. If you are suffering from lower back pain, this is a great pose to try because it relaxes the muscles that compress your spine and may also ease sciatic nerve pain.1

4. Core Strengthening

The core muscles are your trunk or midsection muscles, which support your spine and pelvis. These include the abdominal muscles along the front of your body (the rectus abdominis, or “six pack” muscle); the internal and external oblique muscles; the transverse abdominis and multifidus in your back; and the pelvic floor muscles.

These muscles are essential for moving your limbs, transferring force and weight to the limbs from the center of your body and improving stability. Without a strong core, you could develop back, hip or knee pain.

Yoga strengthens these muscles by practicing poses that require balance and core engagement. It also challenges these muscles with strength-training exercises, such as plank, a pose in which you hold your upper body on forearms and toes — think of the shape your body would make if it were a board.

5. Balance Exercises

If a full-service yoga session isn’t your thing, incorporating balance exercises into your daily routine may help with relaxation. This type of exercise can improve flexibility, strength and endurance, as well as lower risk factors for heart disease like blood pressure, cholesterol and stress.

Start by standing with your feet hip-width apart, pressing your weight evenly onto both feet. Then shift your weight to the right foot and lift it, bending it so that it comes close to your buttocks. Repeat 10-15 times, then switch to the other leg. These exercises are low-impact, meaning they won’t make your heart rate increase. Alternatively, march in place while holding on to a chair for support or try tai chi — another form of movement training that can help build strength and stability.