Yoga to tone body: 8 asanas to try | XpertsReviews.com

Once we’ve gotten rid of excess body fat, our next goal is usually to improve muscle definition. After all, we want our muscles to look lean. There are many bodybuilding exercises that can help you tone your body. But you can also take the yoga route. Yoga is not just for relaxation. It can also help tone your entire body. Although some asanas can tone your thighs or arms, there are yoga poses to tone your entire body. Read on to learn more about yoga for toning.

Yoga postures to tone the body

Yoga helps tone the entire body by engaging multiple muscle groups through various poses and movements. It combines strength, flexibility and balance, allowing you to work on different areas of your body simultaneously, says Himalayan yoga expert Siddhaa Akshar. The controlled movements required in yoga poses help build lean muscle mass and improve overall muscle tone.

A 2015 study published in The Gerontology Journal Series also showed that regular yoga practice is as effective as stretching and strengthening exercises in improving functional fitness. Here are eight yoga poses you can try:

1. Santolanasana (plank pose)

• Start in a push-up position which means your arms should be extended and your hands should be directly under your shoulders. Engage your core and form a straight line from your heels to your head.
• Inhale deeply as you lift your body.
• Exhale after holding the pose for a few seconds.

Avoid this asana in case of wrist or shoulder injuries.

2. Chaturanga Dandasana (Four-Limbed Stick Pose or Low Plank Pose)

• Start in plank position and inhale.
• Exhale as you lower your body in a straight line until your upper arms are parallel to the floor.

People with wrist, shoulder, or lower back injuries should not attempt the exercise.
Chaturanga Dandasana, says the expert.

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3. Naukasana (boat pose)

• Sit with your legs extended.
• As you engage your core, inhale and raise your arms above your head and your legs off the floor.
• Exhale as you lower them.

If you have neck or lower back injuries, do not do boat pose.

4. Utkatasana (Chair Pose)

• Stand with your feet together.
• Inhale and raise your arms above your head.
• Exhale and bend your knees, pushing your hips back as if you were sitting in an invisible chair.

People suffering from knee or ankle injuries should avoid this asana.

5. Warrior III (Virabhadrasana III)

• While standing, shift your weight to one leg as you inhale and lift the other leg behind you, parallel to the floor.
• Exhale as you lean forward and extend one arm in front and the other behind you.

This standing yoga pose also improves balance, but if you have back, hip, or knee injuries, don’t do it.

6. Vasisthasana (side plank pose)

• Lie on your side with your legs extended and support yourself on your forearm and foot.
• Inhale, engage your core and lift your hips off the floor, forming a straight line from heels to head.
• Exhale after holding the pose for a few seconds.

People with wrist, shoulder or neck injuries should avoid it.

7. Salabhasana (Locust Pose)

• Lie on your stomach to do locust pose.
• Engage your core, inhale and push your body up onto your toes and hands.
• Hold the pose for a moment then exhale.

Don’t do this asana if you have wrist, shoulder, or lower back injuries, says Akshar.

8. Setu Bandha Sarvangasana (Bridge Pose)

• When lying on your back, keep your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor.
• Engage your core, inhale and lift your hips off the floor, forming a straight line from knees to shoulders.
• Hold this pose and then exhale slowly.

Avoid it if you have neck or shoulder injuries.

Before trying these poses, be sure to warm up properly to avoid injury. You can do gentle stretches and deep breathing exercises before doing body toning poses.