6 Yoga Poses That Help Burn Fat & Build Strength
While the practice of yoga has everything to do with breathing and is less about the asanas (the sanskrit name for “poses” or “postures”), a lot of people mistake yoga for an easy form of exercise. Even if you only came for the Savasana, which you definitely shouldn’t leave before, turning off the mind and being present with the body and the breath isn’t an easy feat. But if you’re someone who likes to work your muscles and break a sweat – you certainly don’t want to discount yoga.
There are a lot of great yoga poses for weight loss and strength building you should definitely try out.
1. 3-Legged Dog to Tiger Curl
With a huge emphasis on the core and total-body mobility, this dynamic movement is a total-body burner. If you really want to heat up the body, this is a great movement. You want to tuck your belly button into your spine as much as possible and really try to get your knee to your nose.
2. Warrior II
Strong and active legs, relaxed shoulders. Gaze towards and beyond your front hand. Make sure that the back foot is parallel to the mat and the front knee is going over your second toe (prevent that knee from collapsing inward).
3. Warrior III
Balance, focus, and lengthen that spine! Make sure that your gaze is downward to keep that spinal alignment. Get your biceps up by your ears. From the side your body should be shaped like a “T”.
4. Revolving Crescent Lunge
As with all twisting poses, revolving crescent lunge is great for spine mobility and promoting healthy digestion. Be sure that your core is activated and you’re not just putting all of your weight on your quad. Additionally, keep that back leg active, really pressing the back of the knee up towards the sky.
5. Chair
The legs, back, and core are really activated full force in this pose. It’s not easy to pretend you’re sitting on a chair when there isn’t a chair behind you. Try to sit back and as low as possible and really reach those fingertips up towards the sky, while simultaneously relaxing your shoulders. If this is not possible with your arms, you can always bend your elbows and come into cactus arms instead.
6. High Side Plank
Those side planks are not as easy as they seem. Be sure that your feet are stacked on top of each other (or one in front of the other for more stability), your hips are tucked under and pushed forward. Additionally, don’t sink down into that base shoulder socket – push through the earth with that palm. Active core – you’ve got this!
Have you heard of or tried any of these poses before? Were some a bit more challenging than you initially thought? We would love to hear your feedback in the comments below.
***
