Yoga is not considered an aerobic exercise, but it can help improve your balance and increase strength. It can also burn calories, especially in power yoga. It can also increase flexibility and build muscle tone.
It can also increase heart health. Yoga has also been shown to decrease the severity of tremors in people with Parkinson’s disease.
Bridge Pose
Bridge Pose works to strengthen the back muscles, glutes and quads while enhancing balance in the pelvis and core. It also opens up the chest and shoulders to combat poor posture. To do Bridge Pose, lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the mat. Interlace your fingers and press your palms down into the floor for leverage to lift the hips up into Bridge Pose.
For those with back pain, this pose can be difficult because it takes a lot of strength to maintain the position. However, it is important to always work within your limits and use a block when necessary. The key is to do this pose regularly to see its benefits. It is a good pose to start with when introducing yoga poses.
Cobra Pose
Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana) is a great way to open up your chest and improve your posture. It also strengthens your back muscles and helps you build a strong core. If you’re a beginner, try adding it to your yoga workout to start with and then gradually increase the number of reps as you become more comfortable with the pose.
Practicing Cobra Pose regularly can help prevent back pain and reduce inflammation in folks with chronic conditions like arthritis. However, this pose can cause injuries if you don’t do it properly. To avoid injury, make sure you don’t lift your legs too far apart and that you keep the heels aligned with each other. Also, make sure to keep your low belly on the floor and elbows bent if you have back pain or neck issues.
Urdhva Hastasana
Urdhva Hastasana is a standing pose that is part of the foundation for most of the other standing poses and is often seen in yoga workouts as the first posture of Surya Namaskara (Sun Salutation). It is also commonly used as an energy booster after a long period of sitting or to awaken the body in the morning.
It stretches the sides of the body, back, and shoulders, strengthening and stretching the arms, opens the chest and lungs, improves digestion, relieves anxiety and fatigue, and provides benefits for those with high blood pressure.
Practicing this pose will help you learn how to balance your body weight and build a strong, stable base for other yoga poses. For an extra challenge, you can try a variation on this pose by clasping the hands when the arms are overhead.
Lunge
Lunge is an essential yoga pose that strengthens and tones the lower legs, hips, buttocks and backs of the arms. It also helps prevent injuries to the knees and back. It’s a good choice for beginners to build strength.
To do this exercise, stand with feet hip-width apart and hands in front of chest. Engage your core and take a big step forward with the right foot, sending the hips back to engage the glutes. Bend the knees to lower your body until the back knee is about an inch off the floor.
For more challenge, try twist lunge by pushing through the right foot at the top of the movement to add a twist to the lunge. Avoid slamming your back knee into the floor to protect it.
Pyramid Pose
Pyramid Pose (Parsvottanasana) is an amazing balancing yoga posture that stretches the hips, shoulders, and spine. It also improves balance and full body coordination. It is also therapeutic for flat feet and can help with digestion. This pose is a great way to develop the strength and stability needed for backbends and inversions.
When first learning this pose, it’s easy to take an overly wide stance. To avoid this, place your feet closer together than in standing poses like Crescent Lunge. This will give you a solid base for all the rest of your postures.
Once you’ve mastered the basic pose, try using blocks under your hands to deepen the stretch and keep the balance. It takes patience and concentration to acquire this balance, but with dedication you will reap the rewards.