Tone Your Legs and Butt with These Six Yoga Poses
Yoga is one of the most wholesome practices out there to tone your legs and butt, which is something many people want to do. In its practice, there are various poses that work several muscle areas that you can perform.
According to experts from the Spanish Federation of Directed Activities and Fitness (FEDA), yoga is a type of physical exercise that allows you to work the whole body. It also contributes to the development of coordination and flexibility, as well as improving your balance and breathing.
Bikram yoga is one of the modalities of the discipline that helps to improve the physical aspect more quickly. The benefits of the postures in this yogic style include developing and strengthening the body.
Also, seeking harmony in the body is one of the objectives of yoga, through the control of the mind. The asanas or poses provide benefits for each part of the body. In fact, in a pose, you can work different body parts, and each pose has a different level of complexity.
If you want to do physical activity and have a healthy figure, here are 6 yoga poses that are ideal for toning your buttocks and legs.
Six yoga postures to tone your legs and butt
1. Utkatasana, or the chair pose
The chair pose is ideal for toning buttocks and legs, in addition to working the abdomen and back.
How to do it:
- The pose starts by placing your legs together at hip-width.
- Then, you should slowly lower yourself with your arms up. Your knees shouldn’t extend past your ankles to prevent injury.
- When lowering yourself with the back straight, you will feel the tension in the buttocks and legs.
This pose is basic for yoga practice and is often used in many routines. By doing the chair pose regularly, you can also help reduce back pain.
We think you may also enjoy reading this article: Yoga for Back Pain
2. Garurasana, or the eagle pose
The eagle will give you more mobility in the ankles, knees, wrists, and legs, and strengthen your buttocks.
How to do it:
- This asana consists of placing your legs together and bending your right knee a little.
- Then, put the thigh of your left leg over the right leg. The left leg then curls with the right leg.
- After, bend your elbows and bring them to your chest. As you do this, you put pressure on both your legs and buttocks.
- Once you do this pose on the right side, start with the left side. This twist may be somewhat complex, but its benefits are multiple and will help you to have better control over your body.
3. Tone your legs and butt with the Tulandandasana, or flying pose
This pose requires a high level of complexity, but you’ll have excellent results if you practice it.
How to do it:
- Start by placing your legs hip-width apart and lowering your torso towards your forehead.
- Then, rest your arms on the floor and raise your left leg as high as possible.
- Keep the foot on tiptoe and tighten the abdomen.
- Then, change legs and raise your right leg.
The flying pose will help work your buttocks and strengthen the muscles of the back and legs.
4. The Trikonasana or triangle pose
The triangle pose is ideal for strengthening the thighs and back.
How to do it:
- Stand with your legs together.
- Then, spread them apart and stretch your arms laterally. You should turn your left foot inward and your right foot forward.
- Then, lower your hips to the right side while holding the ankle on that side.
- Turn your trunk to the right side, raise your head, and stretch your left arm, aligning it with your torso.
- Your gaze should go upward.
- Then, undo the pose to do it on the opposite side.
The triangle allows an equal development of the legs and will help relieve tension in your back.
5. The Vrksasana or tree pose
The tree is one of the basic postures for balance, so it can help control both the mind and body.
How to do it:
- For the tree pose, simply place your legs hip-width apart and place your palms together.
- Then, bring your right leg up and rest it on your left thigh.
- The leg should be very close to the groin and you must tighten your abdomen and buttocks for balance.
- Then, support yourself with one leg while breathing and maintaining stability. The tree pose will keep you grounded!
6. Tone your legs and butt with the Konasana or angle pose
How to do it:
- Start by placing your legs together. Then, open them with your arms outstretched.
- Bend your trunk from the hip and support your body on the right leg. Then, stretch your arm over your head.
- With this angular posture, you will stretch your chest and open your waist.
- Meanwhile, your legs will feel the stretching work that you promote in the buttocks, ankles, and toes while doing this pose.
Discover this interesting article, too: Breathing Exercises to Relax
Overall, there are many yoga poses that will help you tone your glutes and legs, these are just a few. Ask your yoga instructor what others you can practice and what precautions you should take into account to avoid injury.
Remember to respect your body and never demand more than you can handle from it, especially in the beginning. It’s best to always go little by little.
All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.
- Prescot, A., Karri, S. K., Ciraulo, D. A., Perlmutter, R., Whitfield, T. H., Renshaw, P. F., … Jensen, J. E. (2010). Effects of Yoga Versus Walking on Mood, Anxiety, and Brain GABA Levels: A Randomized Controlled MRS Study. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1089/acm.2010.0007
- Sarang, P., & Telles, S. (2006). Effects of two yoga based relaxation techniques on Heart Rate Variability (HRV). International Journal of Stress Management. https://doi.org/10.1037/1072-5245.13.4.460
- Melville, G. W., Chang, D., Colagiuri, B., Marshall, P. W., & Cheema, B. S. (2012). Fifteen minutes of chair-based yoga postures or guided meditation performed in the office can elicit a relaxation response. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1155/2012/501986