Building strong muscles doesn’t have to happen in the gym only. If you’re trying to get a workout in, but don’t want to drive all the way to your workout space, your home will do just fine. Yoga is a routine that can be practiced anywhere and comes with many benefits, including muscle building.
Strength training has slowly gained momentum as it proves to be integral to our overall fitness. Working on building muscle mass boosts our metabolism, promotes weight loss, and maintains healthy bones that can benefit us when we’re older.
5 Yoga Poses to Build Muscle
Yoga has come to our rescue yet again, and this time it’s to help us build strong muscles. Here are 5 poses to try during your next workout:
1. Forearm Side Plank
Planks are extremely useful to strengthen your obliques, core muscles, and upper body. The longer you can hold your plank, the more strength you build.
Directions:
- Start by lying on your back with your legs straight and your arms beside your sides.
- Choose a side to turn towards (we will start with the right) and stack your legs and feet on top of each other.
- Place your left forearm on your mat and extend your right arm upwards towards the ceiling.
- Using your left forearm strength, make sure your core is tight, and squeeze your inner thighs as you lift your hips towards the ceiling.
- Hold the plank pose for 30 seconds and gently lower your hips back onto the ground.
- Repeat side plank on the opposite side.
- Challenge yourself to hold the plank pose for longer periods of time with each practice.
2. Chair Pose
Chair pose helps to build lower body strength and build muscles at the same time. Your legs are put to work when you hold this pose, and the extension of your arms can also help to promote upper body strength as you perform the yoga pose.
Directions:
- Start in a standing position with your toes pointing towards the front and your feet six inches apart from each other.
- Bend your knees and lower down to a squatting position, making sure you can see all 10 toes when you look down.
- With your chest lifted, extend your arms towards the ceiling to complete the pose.
- Hold chair pose for 60 seconds.
3. Bridge Pose
The bridge pose will not only promote strong muscles, but it can also aid in digestive functions, promote mental health, and reduce thyroid problems.
Directions:
- Lie down on your mat with your back straight and your arms beside your hips.
- Place your feet hip-width distance apart and position them so your fingers can almost touch your heels (it’s also okay if they don’t touch).
- With a deep inhale, slowly lift your hips as high as you can towards the ceiling and hold for 5 seconds.
- As you exhale, lower down towards the ground and pause for 1 second before repeating the exercise for 45 seconds.
4. Goddess Pose
The goddess pose works on the thighs, arms, shoulders, and upper back. Your core muscles are also engaged and become stronger with this pose.
Directions:
- Stand up tall with your feet apart as wide as you can with your toes pointing out.
- Bend your knees to perform a squat until your hips are in line with your knees.
- Keep your core engaged and hold this pose for 5 seconds before returning to the starting position.
- Perform the goddess pose for 60 seconds.
5. Warrior I Pose
The focus is on thighs, calves, arms, shoulders, and back with this pose. Warrior I pose is a good pose to start with when you are a beginner and is extremely beneficial for stability and improving blood circulation in the body.
Directions:
- From downward-facing dog position, move your left foot in between your wrists and make sure your left knee is bent.
- With a slight bend in your right knee, extend your arms towards the ceiling and feel the stretch on the left side.
- Square your hips to make them straight and hold the warrior I pose for 3 seconds.
- Repeat this pose and use the opposite side to even out both sides.
Yoga is an extremely beneficial exercise to tone and strengthen the body, as well as improve mental well-being. Make sure to listen to your body and drink lots of water to stay hydrated.
The content of this Website is for is for informational purposes only, is general in nature and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease, and does not constitute professional advice. The information on this Website should not be considered as complete and does not cover all diseases, ailments, physical conditions, or their treatment. You should consult with your physician before beginning any exercise, weight loss, or health care program and/or any of the beauty treatments.
References:
6 Poses for Muscle Gain. (2017, June 12). Retrieved from https://manflowyoga.com/blog/6-poses-for-muscle-gain/
Achanta, R. (n.d.). 7 Effective Yoga Poses For Muscle Building. Retrieved from http://www.stylecraze.com/articles/effective-yoga-poses-for-muscle-building/#gref
Ring, S. (2017, March 08). 8 Yoga Poses that Build Muscle. Retrieved from https://www.active.com/yoga/articles/8-yoga-poses-that-build-muscle
