Maybe you've always wanted long, toned legs, but you don't like working up a sweat with squats and lunges.It is possible to tone your legs with yoga, even though it isn't necessarily the same as strength training or other exercise.A number of poses designed to increase the strength of your leg muscles are part of the practice.Strengthening your leg muscles and improving your lower body flexibility can be done with other poses.
Step 1: The first thing you should do is begin with the viparita.
The "legs up the wall" pose is a great pose to strengthen your legs.If you stand for long periods of time, it may help to drain fluid from your legs.It's a relaxing pose that doesn't require much skill or flexibility.You are laying on your back on the floor.Walk up the wall until your legs are against it.Hold your arms out to your sides on the floor, with your palms facing the ceiling.Your back should be pressed against the floor.If you feel your back rounding, use a pillow or towel.Stay in this position for between 7 and 10 minutes, breathing deeply through the nose and mouth.
Step 2: Relax with a big toe pose.
A deep forward bend in big toe pose can help shorten your legs.With this pose, make sure to keep your back completely flat and your torso long as you bend over your legs.Start from a standing position with your feet apart.Lift your kneecaps by contracting your front thigh muscles.You can keep your core engaged by pressing your belly button.Keep your legs straight.Curl your fingers under your big toes.You can close the wrap with your thumb.Place your toes against your fingers.Lift your torso as if you were going to stand, then extend it and fold it again, going deeper into the bend.Lift your sitting bones to the sky with every exhale as you take a few more breaths.Pull on your toes and lower yourself into a deeper bend after a few breaths.Lift your sitting bones.Make your torso as long as possible if your hamstrings are tight.Stand on an inhale and hold this position for one minute.
Step 3: Try a standing forward bend.
The wide-legged standing forward bend gives you a good stretch for your thighs and strengthens your muscles to help tone your legs as well as improve your general flexibility.Step wide from a standing position so that your feet are 3–4 feet apart.Place your hands on your hips and engage your core and quads to maintain balance as you move to a flat back.If you can't reach the floor, use a block or table.The key is that your back is flat.While maintaining a flat back, only go down as far as you can.If you want, you can extend this fold and come closer to your legs.Drop your gaze to the floor.Keep your back flat.Lift up through your sitting bones with your feet.The harder it will be for you to get your back straight, the stiffer your hamstrings are.
Step 4: Work toward a forward fold.
The ultimate yoga pose is a forward fold.If you have a job that requires you to sit at a desk for long periods of time, the pose can be difficult and beneficial.Don't move from your waist when you fold forward.You are not folding your upper body towards your legs.Put your hands on your hips and lean back from a standing position.Press your hips forward to create a back bend.Release your hands as you fold forward from the hips.If you push your pelvis back, it will be pointed behind you rather than at the floor below you.Your hamstrings will still be in a contracted position if your pelvis is forward.Hold the pose for a minute or more, breathing deeply through your nose and mouth, until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings.Don't try to touch the floor.It's fine if you only fold to the point where you rest your palms on your knees or shins.If you want to rehabilitate your hamstrings, stretch them each time you do this exercise.If you're folding from the hips, you can go deeper into the fold.
Step 5: Do a chair and half-chair pose.
You'll feel the burn in your quads in the chair and half-chair poses.If it's too difficult for you to hold and breathe through chair pose, try alternating it with mountain pose.Stand with your feet together, bend your knees, and lower your hips as if you are sitting in a chair.Lift up through the chest, tuck your pelvis under, knit your ribs together, and engage your core.Press your palms together above your head as you raise your arms.If it's too difficult with your feet together, you can spread them apart.For 5 deep breaths, hold the position.You cross your right ankle over your left thigh for half-chair pose.Everything else is the same as chair pose.You want to protect your knee by flexing your right foot.Stand on your right foot and hold for 5 deep breaths.
Step 6: Work in a sequence of battles.
There are 3 warrior poses that help strengthen your leg muscles, tone your core and improve your posture.You can do these poses in a sequence or intersperse them with other poses.To do warrior 1, step your right foot forward from a standing position.If you want your knee to track in the same direction as your big toe, your right knee should be at a right angle over your ankle.The toes on your right foot should be turned out so that your left foot is not hit.If you want to square your hips toward the front of the mat, press down and back through your left toe.Reach your arms straight up to the ceiling on either side of your head.Take 5 deep breaths and repeat with your left leg.The position of your legs is the same with warrior 2.Instead of reaching up to the ceiling, open your arms and twist them to form a straight line above your legs, your right arm reaching forward and your left arm behind you.Place your hips to the front of the mat.Hold this pose for 5 deep breaths, then do the other side.Warrior 3 is a pose that strengthens your core.Walk your hands under your shoulders as you come into a standing forward bend.If you want to raise your right leg behind you, shift your weight to your left foot.To maintain your balance, adjust your right thigh so your toes point towards the ground.Press your palms together in front of your chest when you're steady.Reach forward through the crown of your head when you square your hips to the floor.Hold this pose for 5 deep breaths, then switch to the other side.
Step 7: Move to a full moon.
The half moon is a balancing pose that you can do from warrior 3.This pose strengthens all of your leg muscles while giving your inner thighs a good stretch and improves your balance and flexibility.From warrior 3, drop your fingertips to the mat under your right shoulder, and as you open your hips, keep that left leg extended behind you.If necessary, rest your right hand on a block.Shift your gaze to the left and raise your left arm straight up.Hold the pose for 5 deep breaths, then do the other side.
Step 8: You can build strong quads with extended side angle pose.
Strength-building exercises for your entire lower body include extended side angle pose.Keeping your body weight centered is the key to engaging your legs and not leaning on your arm.If you want to begin extended side angle, stand with your feet wide apart and turn your right foot out.You should bend your knee at a right angle.Pull your torso toward your right knee by reaching over your head with your left arm.Stack your hips and place them on the side of the mat.A long line of energy should be felt through your left fingertips from the outer edge of your foot.If you want to rest your elbow on your knee, you can extend it to the floor or bend it.Don't lean on your right arm.Let your legs hold up your body weight and think of your upper body as weightless.Hold the pose for 5 breaths, then switch to the other side.
Step 9: A balance in a tree pose.
The standing leg gets a lot of strength from balancing poses.One of the more basic balancing poses is tree pose and is accessible for beginners who may not have as much flexibility or have difficulty finding their balance.From a standing position, shift your body weight to your left leg as you bend your knee and raise your right foot.To rest your foot on your left calf or thigh, turn your right knee outward.You can find your balance by looking at a focal point on the floor a few feet in front of you.You have to move your right foot until you find a balance position.Stand tall and place your palms in front of your chest in a prayer position once you've found your balance.You can leave your arms extended at your sides if you have trouble finding your balance.Press your foot against the thigh of your standing leg.Reach toward the sky if you have good balance.Hold the pose for 5 breaths, with each inhale thinking of reaching upward toward the sky, each exhale pressing your left thigh and the sole of your right foot firmly.Release to a standing position and do the other side.
Step 10: Begin with a mountain pose.
The starting point for all standing poses is the mountain pose.This pose can help you become more aware of your lower body.Stand with your feet together.Your big toes should be touching, but your heels are not.Keeping your palms and fingers together, extend your arms to your sides.As you lengthen your spine, focus on your breath.Your shoulder blades should be in line with your back.If you're particularly stiff, this may be a difficult pose for you to maintain.Spread your feet a bit.Take a deep breath through your nose, then exhale slowly.Try to inhale and exhale at the same time.Don't try to inhale again after each exhale.Slowly and deeply inhale.
Step 11: The staff pose.
The staff pose is a seated position that can strengthen your back and improve your posture.This pose can be used in other seated poses to improve flexibility.Your legs are extended out in front of you as you sit on the mat.Your legs shouldn't be pressed together forcefully.Pay attention to your torso.If you find yourself leaning back, it may be because of your legs.If this is the case, you may want to sit on a blanket or towel.Press your palms against the floor on either side of you.Your arms should be straight down from your shoulders.Flex your ankle and turn your thighs inward.You want your legs to press out through your heels.Your spine is a staff, stretching your torso from the floor.Hold the position for a moment or two and imagine yourself growing ever deeper into the ground, your spine stretching up from the base.
Step 12: Go to a wide-angle seated bend.
A wide-angle seated forward bend really opens up your hips and improves the flexibility in your lower body while stretching the insides and backs of your legs.This pose can help you get ready for standing poses.From staff pose, open your legs and lean back.You can widen your legs by pressing your hands into the floor.Push through the balls of your feet and keep your kneecaps pointed up to the ceiling as you press your outer thighs into your mat.Keeping your arms extended and your core engaged, walk your hands slowly between your legs.The natural curve is at the base of your spine.Don't bend from the waist.Stay in the pose for at least 1 minute, moving deeper into the bend with every exhale.While still maintaining your breath, don't bend any further than you can comfortably do.Keep your torso and spine straight as you come out of the bend, by raising up on an inhale.
Step 13: Try a big-toe pose.
Extending hand-to-big-toe pose increases flexibility in your legs and hips.While standing in mountain pose, reach your left arm over your ankle and pull your knee toward your belly.The index and middle fingers of your left hand can be used to hold the big toe.Firm up the front thigh muscles of the leg you're standing on.Straighten your left leg as much as you can on an inhale.Swing it out to the side when you find your balance.Place it on your hip if you reach out right hand.Relax deeply.Hold the pose for about 30 seconds, then exhale and bring your leg back in on an inhale.The pose should be repeated with the other leg.
Step 14: The active pigeon pose can be used to improve flexibility in the hips.
If you want to tone your legs with yoga, you'll need your gluteal muscles.The pigeon pose improves flexibility in your lower core, hips, and glutes.With your palms under your shoulders, you can enter this pose from all fours.Lift your left knee and slide it to the floor.Bring your left foot as close to your right wrist as possible.Take your toes out and put your right leg on the floor.Pull your left hip back by pressing your right hip forward.If necessary, use a prop to support yourself as you square your hips toward the mat.If you have the flexibility to do it, you can either lower yourself slowly to your forearms or bring your chest all the way down to the floor.Tighten the muscles in your body.Hold the position for a couple of breaths, with every exhale sinking deeper into the stretch.Roll over your toes and press your right leg up through the balls of your feet to come out of the pose.Pull your left leg back to join the right if you bend your right knee to the floor.You can either do it once and then do the other leg, or you can repeat it 5 times on one side.