How To Build Muscles With Yoga
You may not want to read the article for two reasons – you may
belong to the category of people who believe that building muscles is for body
builders and their likes. Or you may believe that yoga is too soft an art to
aid in building muscles. Well, if your answer is yes to any of the above
statements, you need to get on with the reading to know how farther your
beliefs are from facts.
Four Pronged Staff Pose
also known as Low Plank Pose is one of those challenging poses that tests your
body’s strength and endurance. The pose tones your abdominal organs,
strengthens your arms and wrists, improves your resistance level and prepares
you for tougher arm balancing poses.
Peacock Pose develops
your shoulders, biceps and abs. It strengthens your wrists.
Why You Need To Build
Muscles Anyway?
Let us get it straight before we proceed. I am not suggesting
that you build muscles like Arnold and Sylvester Stallone and I have two
reasons for saying so; the first reason is that there is actually no need to if
you are not in the field that necessitates such muscle mass. And the second
reason is, neither do I. However, I ensure I practice yoga poses that help me
build muscles to keep me healthy. Now, here is why you need to build muscles.
1) Aids In Weight Loss
Really tempting, right? Building muscles does aid in attacking
obesity. You will be burning calories not only while you do strength training
but your calories will be burnt even up to four hours after your workout session.
It also makes you trimmer.
2) Reverses Certain
Aging Symptoms
Now, who would not love it? Building muscles addresses one of
the most common problems associated with aging – declining strength.
Sarcopenia, a condition that refers to decline in muscle mass, muscle strength
as well as functionality, is associated with aging among other factors.
Strength training aids in reducing risk of sarcopenia, which can severely
affect your quality of life. The health condition not only increases risk of
falls but also can lead to various other health problems including weak bones,
type 2 diabetes, weight gain, hypertension and reduced physical function
thereby leading to a life of dependency.
3) Promotes Bone
Strength
Building muscles protects your bones and ensures bone density as
you age. Aging can affect bone density and lead to conditions including
osteoporosis. By practicing strength training, you build muscles to ensure
healthy bones even as you advance in years. Strength training uses resistance
for inducing contraction of muscles and builds muscle strength, improves
endurance levels and increases the size of your skeletal muscles.
4. Lowers Risk Of
Injury
Injury risks are higher in sports persons as well as in seniors.
Building skeletal muscles will reduce risk of injury as it strengthens your
bones, tendons and ligaments.
5. Promotes Heart
Health
Strength training assists in pumping blood and hence your heart
does not have to strain too hard. Moreover, having strong muscles aids in
maintaining healthy blood pressure levels.
6. Inhibits Free
Radicals
Free radicals, which are atoms or group of atoms with unpaired
electrons, can cause oxidative damage leading to illnesses associated with
aging, cardiovascular conditions, neurodegenerative disorders and other
degenerative diseases. Strength training helps to check free radicals
thereby greatly reducing risk of free radical damage.
7. Relieves Stress
Strength training is a stress buster too. Studies show that
strength training boosts release of endorphins, which are associated with
positive mood.
8. Shapes Your
Confidence As Well
Practicing strength training helps you discover your mental
strength and the limits you could push yourself to perform. Hence, it is not
just about external appearance but also is a fine way to keep your confidence
level high.
Yoga For Building
Muscles
Yoga is a versatile art with incredible health benefits. It
stimulates all glands and organs to perform at optimal best. Yoga addresses
various health conditions and is a great way to achieve your health goals – be
it to lose excess weight or build muscle mass. Here are some of the most
effective yoga poses for building muscles.
1. Tulasana / Scale Pose
Also called Raised Lotus Pose, Scale Pose tones your biceps and triceps.
How To Do Scale Pose
- Sit in Padmasana
Pose
- Place your palms
on the floor by the outer sides of your thighs.
- Apply pressure
on your palms and lift your body off the floor. You will now be balancing
on your palms.
Duration: 30 seconds
2. Utthita Caturanga
Dandasana / High Plank Pose
How To Do High Plank
Pose
- Place your palms on the floor aligning with your
shoulders.
- Stretch your legs backwards and straight. The toes
should be tucked in and facing forward.
- Keep your arms perpendicular to the ground.
- Let your face be aligned to your back.
Duration: 20 seconds
3. Chaturanga Dandasana
/ Four Pronged Staff Pose / Low Plank Pose
How To Do Low
Plank Pose
- Get to High
Plank position.
- Let your legs be
straight.
- Maintain hip
width distance between your feet and let the toes be tucked in.
- Bend your elbows
and lower your body towards the floor till your upper arms are parallel to
the ground. Your arms will form a perfect 90 degree angle.
Duration: 30 seconds
4. Kakasana / Crow Pose
How To Do Crow Pose
- Stand straight.
- Place your palms on the floor in front of you. Maintain
shoulder-width space between your palms.
- Stand on your toes to place your knees on your upper
arms.
- Lift the feet off the ground. You will now be balancing on your palms.
Duration: 30 seconds
5. Mayurasana / Peacock
Pose
How To Do Peacock Pose
- Go on your knees and place your palms between both the
knees. Let the fingers be pointed in your direction.
- Bend your hands slightly and lift your body to balance
the sides on your elbows.
- Once you are comfortable balancing on the elbows,
stretch your legs backwards and lift them off the ground.
- Keep your body straight.
Duration: 20 seconds
6. Astavakrasana / Eight
Angle Pose
Eight Angle Pose is yet
another challenging pose that improves your sense of balance. It strengthens
your shoulders, arms and wrists. It improves core strength. The pose tones your
abdominal organs.
How To Do Eight Angle Pose
- Sit down on the
mat with your legs stretched forward and your hands by the sides.
- Bend your right
leg and place your right hand by the side of the inner right thigh.
- Lift your right
leg high up your arm so that you can place your right knee on the forearm.
- Now, cross your
left foot over your right foot.
- Make sure that
your hands are placed at shoulder width distance.
- Stretch your legs diagonally as you bend your upper part of the body forward so that your torso is parallel to the floor.
Duration: 30 seconds
Practicing the
above-mentioned poses will definitely make you look a 'cut' above the rest.
Sources:
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