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Yoga is not just a beneficial method for achieving relaxation and promoting stress relief, it's also one of the most effective ways of strengthening and toning your entire body. If you want to trim your waistline and lose pounds, yoga should be a part of a weight-loss plan that includes calorie reduction and cardiovascular activity. While yoga alone can't help you lose weight, specific yoga postures can help you tone and strengthen your abdomen and slim your waistline.
A Hatha yoga class is slower paced than the more upbeat flow of a Vinyasa practice or the rigorous intensity of Ashtanga. However, if you practice Vinyasa, Ashtanga, even Bikram yoga, you are practicing under the umbrella that is the school of Hatha yoga, which includes hundreds of poses. Practicing a Hatha yoga sequence with standing poses and balancing poses, beginning with warm-up poses and ending with a relaxing Savasana, can make up an hourlong yoga practice. Before practicing yoga at home, take classes with a certified yoga teacher to ensure you are using correct form and alignment and to…
The sternocleidomastoid is a muscle that extends from the back of the skull around the ear lobes down to the collar bone. The sternocleidomastoid engages every time you turn your head to the side, bend your head laterally down to the shoulder and nod your head forward or backward. Several yoga poses contract, stretch and lengthen the sternocleidomastoid muscle, optimizing flexibility and strength in the neck.
Doing a stationary reverse lunge is a really terrific way to engage your core. Find out how to properly do a stationary reverse lunge with help from a fitness expert and trainer in this free video clip.
Yoga is an ancient Indian practice that uses postures and breathing techniques. Even though the exercise has generally been associated with women in modern times, practicing yoga is quite beneficial to men, too. Yoga helps men strengthen muscles as well as tone their bodies and gain greater flexibility. Yoga is also a great way for men to relieve stress and heal internal organs.
Easy Yoga poses for teenagers can really help young people improve their balance, among other qualities. Do easy Yoga poses for teenagers with help from an experienced Yoga professional in this free video clip.
Yoga is an ancient practice with many modern health benefits, such as improved circulation and breath capacity, and many practitioners believe it even detoxifies the body. During a yoga class, the body moves into a variety of postures that many practitioners believe can help to cleanse and detoxify, such as folds and twists to trigger the digestive system and cleanse the organs. It is believed that through inversions and sweating, the body is further purified, by moving toxins around and out of the body. Although there are no specific scientific studies about toxins being released or how these poses might…
From Hatha to Ashtanga to Bikram, there are various yoga schools -- and even a diversity in teaching approaches within each school. Among these variations, Surat Shabd yoga is a very distinct type of practice. While other yoga forms focus on the physical, Surat Shabd focuses on mental and spiritual well being. At its core, the practice revolves around concentrating on your “inner sound” or “cosmic hum” as a means of meditation.
The serratus anterior is defined as the group of muscles that attach to the outer sides of the eight ribs. These muscles are instrumental in the practice of several yoga poses, mainly ones that involve inversion or core-strengthening poses such as plank and Chaturanga Dandasana, or Four-Limbed Staff Pose. Proper alignment and regular practice will strengthen the serratus anterior, making more difficult poses attainable.
There are two types of "salutation" sequences in yoga: Sun Salutations and Moon Salutations. The Moon Salutation sequence is not as popular as the Sun Salutation sequence -- which you will see practiced in many Ashtanga and Vinyasa classes -- since it hasn't been around as long. Regardless, practicing Moon Salutations, also known as Moon Prayer Salutations, is a beneficial way to soothe and balance your body and your energy.
Yoga and Pilates are both forms of exercise that lengthen, stretch and tone muscles to create more flexibility, range of motion and strength in the body. Both of these types of exercises can be done on a mat, using few or no props. They simply require a deep concentration to how the body is moving, thus creating the mind-body connection.
Yoga exercises to increase beta waves are great to do when you're feeling a bit sluggish. Do Yoga exercises to increase beta waves with help from a certified personal trainer, yoga instructor and holistic health practitioner in this free video clip.
The best Yoga exercises for the knee and hip can be done on a Yoga mat and will help relieve pain and tension. Find out about the best Yoga exercises for the knee and hip with help from a certified personal trainer, yoga instructor and holistic health practitioner in this free video clip.
Yoga poses for weight reduction can get your heart rate up and make your muscles more flexible. Find out about great Yoga poses for weight reduction with help from an internationally-recognized holistic health and wellness expert in this free video clip.
Hardcore Yoga exercises at home are best done after a series of warmups to make sure that you don't get too sore. Do hardcore Yoga exercises at home with help from an internationally-recognized holistic health and wellness expert in this free video clip.
Yoga is great for gymnasts as it helps with balance, posture and strength. Find out about how Yoga can help a gymnast with help from an internationally-recognized holistic health and wellness expert in this free video clip.
Yoga is a form of mind-body-spirit fitness that certainly involves stretching -- a lot of stretching, in fact. And if you’ve stretched before or after a workout, you may have done some moves that would be just as at home in a yoga class. In fact, stretching is very important as part of your overall exercise routine, and it enhances a yoga session just as much as it enhances a weightlifting session; but there is definitely a lot more to yoga than just stretching.
Many yoga poses include stretches, as well as challenging moves that strengthen your body, improve your balance and increase mental focus and clarity. To get the most out of a yoga session, it’s best to mix in some good stretching postures along with those that help body realignment and others that build strength.
If you are feeling a little tight in your hips, there are a number of different yoga exercises that you can safely do to open up and stretch them. Rocking the Cradle is a yoga exercise that stretches your hip flexors, inside thighs, hamstrings, glutes and shoulders. With continued practice, Rocking the Cradle and other yoga exercises help you increase your flexibility and range of motion.
Yoga shoulder shrugs are great for relieving tension in and around your neck. Find out more about Yoga shoulder shrugs with help from a certified yoga teacher and healer in this free video clip.
The barbell twist is a weightlifting exercise that targets the abdominal muscles known as the obliques. The obliques run down both sides of your rectus abdominis and play a role in torso rotation. Whether you're trying to build your core strength or increase your body's flexibility, the barbell twist is a way to bulk up your obliques without using a tremendous amount of weight.
Restorative yoga poses allow you to relax deeply and restore your body to a balanced state. While stimulating the quieting systems in your body, they inhibit the activating systems, or the parts of the nervous system that prepare you for action. The practice of restorative yoga revolves around eight conditions, which include muscle release, comfort, warm skin, inverted or reclined position, dim light or darkness, pressure on the bones around your eyes and holding the pose for an adequate length of time. These conditions induce relaxation, according to Roger Cole's article "Conditions for Calm" in Yoga Journal. Restorative poses typically…
Your feet support your body all day long and take a pounding. You squeeze them into fashionably tight shoes. You then ignore them unless they’re causing pain. Because your body functions in a balanced way, weak arches can cause not only foot problems but also leg, hip and back problems. Some yoga instructors refer to your feet as the roots of your body, according to Melanie Haiken’s article “Happy Feet” in "Yoga Journal." Use yoga poses to stretch and build the arches of your feet to keep muscular imbalances at bay.
The elevated stationary lunge, also called the elevated split squat, is a modified version of the traditional lunge that works your quads, glutes and calves. During an elevated stationary lunge, your legs remain in a forward lunge position with your front leg on an elevated surface. From there you sink your body toward the floor while keeping your legs stationary. By adding a step or riser underneath your front leg, you are changing the angle at which your muscles perform the exercise, resulting in increased muscle fiber activation and a greater challenge than regular lunges.
Vacation and travel can wreak havoc on your regular exercise routine. You can prepare in advance so that you don't miss a beat when it comes to staying fit, and you don't have to bring a home gym with you. With a little planning and good use of your time, you can stay on top of your fitness program while enjoying your vacation.
Slumping over a computer, sitting in your car and too many barbell presses can leave you with a tight chest. Tight pectoral muscles force you into a hunched forward position that prevents optimal posture and can leave you with neck and upper-back pain. Certain yoga poses offer a way to reverse this forward-leaning posture by helping you to stretch the pectorals and strengthen the upper back.
Your lats, which are your latissimus dorsi muscles, span across your back on either side of your spine, from the middle of your spine down to your lower spine. Your lats are mainly used when you reach overhead to push or pull against resistance. There are several poses practiced in yoga that exercise and tone your lats. At the same time, performing yoga with good posture and balance can be hindered by tight lats, especially in Handstand. Tightness in the lat muscles reduces your range of arm movement, closes the chest and moves your back out of alignment. Doing yoga…
Men commonly add bulk to their abdominal muscles with crunches, situps or heavy equipment at the gym. When you think of yoga for men, six-pack abs might not immediately come to mind, but yoga is a way to further enhance and flatten all of the abdominal muscles. Nearly every yoga pose requires you to engage the muscles of your core, protecting your back while lengthening and strengthening the stomach muscles.
Yoga shoulder shrugs make your shoulders and upper back stronger while stretching and relieving tension from the shoulders, back and neck. Strong shoulders and upper-back muscles can benefit your athletic performance, improve your balance and stability, and help you achieve correct form in yoga poses. You won't need any equipment to perform yoga shoulder shrugs. Because you use your own body as resistance in yoga, the exercise leaves your muscles lean and firm rather than bulky. Doing yoga shoulder shrugs as part of your weekly exercise regimen will give you toned shoulders and a strong, supportive back.
If you don't like lifting weights or using weight machines, upper-body yoga sequences may be for you. Well-balanced sequences will leave your arms thoroughly sculpted with lean muscles that cooperate well and support each other, which can help you avoid injuries. To create an upper-body yoga sequence, include arm balances, back bends and other poses that strengthen and tone your upper back, chest and arms. Consult with your doctor before beginning yoga or any new exercise program.
Yoga helps strengthen both mind and body, leading to an overall holistic and healthy lifestyle. Many yoga poses can help you tone and strengthen your glutes, reducing their size for a sleek, lean look. However, only targeting certain areas of the body for spot-reduction is not an effective method for weight loss. Instead, incorporate certain types of yoga in with a larger fitness plan that includes a healthy diet and regular cardio exercise.
Yoga Nidra is full-body relaxation in a state of mental awareness. The term means "yogic sleep," and it happens during a guided meditation that releases all tension and stress in a 20- to 45-minute session. Yoga Nidra may follow a regular yoga class or be used as a stand-alone practice to wind down at the end of the day. Warming up and chilling out with a few asanas or a breathing session first enhances Yoga Nidra's benefits.
Yoga can help you build blue-ribbon abs. Living proof is Lilias Folan, whose PBS television series “Lilias, Yoga and You,” caught the attention of many Americans in the '70s and '80s. After birthing two children, she couldn’t find her stomach muscles when doing a boat pose, in which you form a “V” shape with your torso and legs lifted. Decades later, she’s now a stronger woman than she was as a young mother, according to Alisa Bauman’s article “Core Curriculum” in Yoga Journal. Because you need to use your abdominals for stability and balance, just about all yoga poses will…
The American Council on Exercise identifies hip adduction as the number one inner-thigh-toning move. You may have heard of hip abduction, which involves lifting the leg away from the body. Hip adduction is just the opposite and calls for squeezing the thighs inward so the inner thigh muscles contract. Several of the 26 postures of Bikram yoga cause the inner thigh muscles to contract, making it an excellent exercise option for obtaining tight inner thighs.
A clear head, a relaxed demeanor, a flexible body. These are all phrases that could describe the benefits of a regular yoga practice. But the one undeniable outcome is that you will enjoy stronger muscles. When you use your own body weight to strike a yoga pose and then hold that posture for any length of time, you are isometrically strengthening your muscles. The best yoga postures to strengthen your body will be a variety of moves that work your upper and lower body and ones that you practice on a consistent basis.
Standing yoga poses are the beginning point of many of the basic poses you perform during a yoga session. Standing poses contribute to improved posture, balance and stability, and can also increase core strength. While many poses call for placing both hands on the floor while in a forward- or backward-bending position, fewer yoga positions involve placing just one hand on the floor from a standing position. These poses stretch and strengthen your arms, back, legs and many other muscle groups. Check with your doctor before starting a new yoga program or if it has been a long time since…
Stretching your ribs does more than improve your side-bending flexibility. When you spend quality time in positions that stretch the muscles between your ribs, you also improve your breathing ability. This enhanced respiration makes daily activities easier, increases your sports performance and reduces your stress as oxygen more readily flows throughout your body. Spend a few minutes a day in poses designed to stretch your ribs and the rest of your day will improve, too.
Joints are the areas in your body where bone meets bone, allowing freedom of movement. The main joints in the body are the hips, shoulders, elbows, knees and ankles. When your joints are not stressed, they degenerate. If joints are overstressed, they deteriorate. A yoga routine with a combination of postures will both stress and stretch the joints in a healthy manner.
Working at a desk for long periods of time can contribute to tension in your back, shoulders and neck. The tension leads to pain and stiffness that can make your hours of paper- or computer work seem much longer. Yoga, the art of stretching, breathing and feeding the soul, can be done on the neck right at your desk to release stress and tension from your body and mind.
Evening Yoga poses are a great way to promote weight loss before you go off to bed. Learn about evening Yoga poses to promote weight loss with help from a personal trainer, a national fitness champion and fitness model in this free video clip.
There are two main chair Yoga poses that are going to help stretch and strengthen your legs. Learn about chair Yoga sequences for legs with help from a personal trainer, a national fitness champion and fitness model in this free video clip.
The trapezius covers much of your back from the top of your shoulders all the way down to about the mid point. Learn about Yoga strengthening for the trapezius with help from a fitness professional in this free video clip.
Yoga is one great way to lift, firm and tone your buttocks for the appearance of a larger bum. Learn about easy yoga moves for bigger buttocks with help from a fitness professional in this free video clip.
You can do a couple of exercises before Yoga Nidra to help make your whole routine that much more worthwhile. Do exercises before Yoga Nidra with help from a reliable and passionate Yoga instructor in this free video clip.
When doing the leg press, you always want to make sure that your foot is in a very specific position. Learn about acceptable foot positions when doing the leg press with help from a strength coach in professional baseball with more than 11 years experience in this free video clip.
If you have dropped arches or flat feet you may have a really hard time balancing consistently. Learn about no arches and balance in yoga with help from an experienced fitness professional in this free video clip.
A lot of great stretches and exercises can be accomplished using a Yoga ball and the right technique. Find out about stretches and exercises with a Yoga ball with help from one of the leading health and fitness professionals in the state of Utah in this free video clip.
There are certain basic Yoga postures that are safe for just about anyone to do. Find out about basic Yoga postures that are safe with help from one of the leading health and fitness professionals in the state of Utah in this free video clip.
Yoga postures are typically broken down into seven major categories. Get a Yoga postures guide with help from one of the leading health and fitness professionals in the state of Utah in this free video clip.
Yoga beginning exercise techniques are a great way to ease yourself into the world of Yoga as a whole. Find out about Yoga beginning exercise techniques with help from one of the leading health and fitness professionals in the state of Utah in this free video clip.
