How to Tone Your Legs with Yoga
Start with the viparita., Stretch your hamstrings with big toe pose., Try a wide-legged standing forward bend., Work into a forward fold.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Start with the viparita.
The viparita, or "legs up the wall" pose, is a great pose for lengthening the muscles in your legs.
It's also a relaxing pose that doesn't require any significant skill or flexibility to do.Laying on your back on the floor with a wall just past your feet.
Slide towards the wall, walking your feet up the wall until your legs are straight against the wall.
Hold your arms out to your sides on the floor, with your elbows at right angles and your palms toward the ceiling.
Your lower back should be pressed firmly against the floor.
Use a pillow or rolled towel if you feel your lower back rounding.
Stay in this position for between 7 and 10 minutes, breathing deeply in through the nose and out through the mouth. -
Step 2: Stretch your hamstrings with big toe pose.
Big toe pose is a deep forward bend that will help elongate your hamstrings.
With this pose, take care to keep your back completely flat and your torso long as you bend over your legs.Start from a standing position with your feet about six inches apart.
Lift your kneecaps by contracting your front thigh muscles, then exhale and fold forward from the hips.
Keep your legs completely straight.
Curl your index and middle fingers under each of your big toes, gripping them firmly.
You can wrap your thumb over those two fingers as well to close the wrap.
Press your toes down against your fingers.
On an inhale, lift your torso as though you were going to stand, then lengthen your torso and fold again, going deeper into the bend.
Take a few more breaths, lifting your torso on each inhale, lifting your sitting bones to the sky with every exhale.
After several breaths, bend your elbows out on an exhale, pulling on your toes and lowering yourself into a deeper bend.
If your hamstrings are tight, just focus on making your torso as long as possible.
Hold this position for one minute, then rise to stand on an inhale. , The wide-legged standing forward bend provides a good stretch for your inner thighs and hamstrings, lengthening your muscles to help tone your legs as well as improve your general flexibility.From a standing position, step wide so that your feet are as far apart as you can comfortably go.
Generally, they should be about as far apart as the length of one of your legs.
Place your hands on your hips and engage your quads to maintain balance as you fold forward from your hips to move to a flat back.
Lower your hands to the floor, or use a block or table if you can't reach the floor.
The key here is that your back should be flat like a tabletop.
Only go down as far as you can while maintaining a flat back.
On exhale, you can extend this fold and come closer to your legs if you want.
Then on inhale return to a flat back.
Keep in mind that the stiffer your hamstrings are, the harder it will be for you to straighten your back. , A forward fold is perhaps the ultimate yoga pose to lengthen your hamstrings.
The pose can be both difficult and extremely beneficial if you have a job that requires you to sit at a desk for long periods of time, forcing your hamstrings to contract.When you fold forward, move from the hips rather than from your waist.
You aren't simply folding your upper body towards your legs.
Rather, you need to move your pelvis back to lengthen your hamstrings.
From a standing position with your feet together, place your hands on your hips and lean back, getting a good stretch in your back.
Then, on an inhale, release your hands to swan dive as you fold forward from the hips.
Focus on pushing your pelvis back so that it is pointed behind you rather than at the floor below you.
As long as your pelvis is forward, your hamstrings will still be in a contracted position.
Fold until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings, and then hold the pose for a minute or longer, breathing deeply in through your nose and out through your mouth.
Don't aim to touch the floor.
If you can only fold to the point where you rest your palms on your knees, or on your shins, that's fine.
Simply work on rehabilitating your hamstrings, stretching them each time you do this exercise.
Over time, you'll be able to go deeper into the fold if you're folding from the hips and moving your pelvis back to accommodate the fold. -
Step 3: Try a wide-legged standing forward bend.
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Step 4: Work into a forward fold.
Detailed Guide
The viparita, or "legs up the wall" pose, is a great pose for lengthening the muscles in your legs.
It's also a relaxing pose that doesn't require any significant skill or flexibility to do.Laying on your back on the floor with a wall just past your feet.
Slide towards the wall, walking your feet up the wall until your legs are straight against the wall.
Hold your arms out to your sides on the floor, with your elbows at right angles and your palms toward the ceiling.
Your lower back should be pressed firmly against the floor.
Use a pillow or rolled towel if you feel your lower back rounding.
Stay in this position for between 7 and 10 minutes, breathing deeply in through the nose and out through the mouth.
Big toe pose is a deep forward bend that will help elongate your hamstrings.
With this pose, take care to keep your back completely flat and your torso long as you bend over your legs.Start from a standing position with your feet about six inches apart.
Lift your kneecaps by contracting your front thigh muscles, then exhale and fold forward from the hips.
Keep your legs completely straight.
Curl your index and middle fingers under each of your big toes, gripping them firmly.
You can wrap your thumb over those two fingers as well to close the wrap.
Press your toes down against your fingers.
On an inhale, lift your torso as though you were going to stand, then lengthen your torso and fold again, going deeper into the bend.
Take a few more breaths, lifting your torso on each inhale, lifting your sitting bones to the sky with every exhale.
After several breaths, bend your elbows out on an exhale, pulling on your toes and lowering yourself into a deeper bend.
If your hamstrings are tight, just focus on making your torso as long as possible.
Hold this position for one minute, then rise to stand on an inhale. , The wide-legged standing forward bend provides a good stretch for your inner thighs and hamstrings, lengthening your muscles to help tone your legs as well as improve your general flexibility.From a standing position, step wide so that your feet are as far apart as you can comfortably go.
Generally, they should be about as far apart as the length of one of your legs.
Place your hands on your hips and engage your quads to maintain balance as you fold forward from your hips to move to a flat back.
Lower your hands to the floor, or use a block or table if you can't reach the floor.
The key here is that your back should be flat like a tabletop.
Only go down as far as you can while maintaining a flat back.
On exhale, you can extend this fold and come closer to your legs if you want.
Then on inhale return to a flat back.
Keep in mind that the stiffer your hamstrings are, the harder it will be for you to straighten your back. , A forward fold is perhaps the ultimate yoga pose to lengthen your hamstrings.
The pose can be both difficult and extremely beneficial if you have a job that requires you to sit at a desk for long periods of time, forcing your hamstrings to contract.When you fold forward, move from the hips rather than from your waist.
You aren't simply folding your upper body towards your legs.
Rather, you need to move your pelvis back to lengthen your hamstrings.
From a standing position with your feet together, place your hands on your hips and lean back, getting a good stretch in your back.
Then, on an inhale, release your hands to swan dive as you fold forward from the hips.
Focus on pushing your pelvis back so that it is pointed behind you rather than at the floor below you.
As long as your pelvis is forward, your hamstrings will still be in a contracted position.
Fold until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings, and then hold the pose for a minute or longer, breathing deeply in through your nose and out through your mouth.
Don't aim to touch the floor.
If you can only fold to the point where you rest your palms on your knees, or on your shins, that's fine.
Simply work on rehabilitating your hamstrings, stretching them each time you do this exercise.
Over time, you'll be able to go deeper into the fold if you're folding from the hips and moving your pelvis back to accommodate the fold.
About the Author
Kayla Hughes
A passionate writer with expertise in lifestyle topics. Loves sharing practical knowledge.
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