The Best Yoga Postures to Strengthen the Body

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.

  1. Arms and Shoulders

    • Quite a few of the yoga arm balances that require you to support your own body weight are classified as intermediate to advanced. If you're a long-time yoga practitioner, give special attention to Crane, Firefly, Scale and Peacock poses to strengthen your arms and shoulders. If you're new to yoga, there are still postures that are effective in strengthening the major muscles of your arms and shoulders, among them Plank, Four-Limbed Staff, Side Plank and Upward Plank poses.

    Abdomen and Chest

    • Ironically, a strong abdomen will not only help support your back, but also get you to a level of fitness where you can perform those more advanced arm poses with ease. When you practice yoga postures to strengthen your abdomen, you'll have to give equal time to all four of the major muscles that comprise your abs: the two obliques, the rectus abdominus and the transversus. The most complete yoga pose for the abs is Full Boat pose, but you can stack the deck by practicing yogic bicycles, Plank, Bow and Cat. For your upper chest, the best poses for strength are Dolphin Plank, Wheel and Upward-Facing Dog poses.

    Back

    • A strong back and a flexible spine are the secret weapons that will keep your body feeling young. The best poses to strengthen your mid- and upper back are back-bending poses. In a pose such as Cobra, where, from a prone position and propped up on your elbows, you lift your upper torso off the floor; it's not your arms that are doing the work; it's your upper-back muscles that are engaged and being strengthened every second you maintain Cobra. Round out your upper back-strengthening repertoire of poses with Bow, Locust and Downward Dog. For strengthening your lower back, spend time in postures such as Bridge, Mountain and Sphinx.

    Legs and Buttocks

    • Strong leg muscles are what you need to carry you through your day with ease. But when you perform yoga postures to strengthen your quads, hamstrings and calves, give equal attention to lengthening those muscles. Too-tight muscles are prone to injury. The best postures for strengthening your leg muscles are standing poses such as the Warrior series, Chair, Triangle and Tree. And while those same poses will strengthen your butt muscles, add some back bends such as Bridge and Locust, which require you to contract your buttocks while performing the poses.