Best Yoga Poses For Your Legs
Swimsuit season has arrived around here which means people start to examine their bodies a little bit more and start thinking about getting “bikini ready.” The good news is that I recently heard one pieces are becoming more fashionable, but your legs will always be shown off. Now you should always appreciate your body and wherever you are in your health journey, but it’s still important to feel good in your own skin and take care of yourself! Yoga is a great way to build up strength in your legs while keeping a positive outlook. Here are a few of my favorite poses for building up leg strength!
Chair pose: My thighs always BURN every time I do chair pose. It’s performed by starting in mountain pose. Slowly bend your knees so that they are bent over your feet. Lift your arms over your head with palms facing each other. Bend your torso slightly over your thighs at a 45-degree angle, but keep your shoulders squared. This is a great strength builder for your whole leg.
High-lunge: This is another pose that leaves my legs burning after holding it for a while. Start in downward facing dog, lift your right leg and place it between your hands. The right knee should form a right angle. Press your left thigh towards the ceiling and keep your hips square focusing on pulling your right hip back. Something that helps me do this is imagining a thumb in the crease between my leg and hip pulling backwards.
Goddess squat: Goddess squat is another great pose for building up your leg muscles and the rest of your lower body. To perform goddess squat, start at the top of your mat and place your hands on your hips. Turn to the right and step your right foot out, about 4 feet from your left. Exhale and bend your knees over your feet. Work on getting your legs parallel to the ground, but don’t force yourself into something that is uncomfortable.
Bridge Pose: I love bridge pose because it feels great on my back but it also builds up leg strength. To perform this pose lay on the ground and bend your knees. Try to get your heels as close to your sit bones as possible. Exhale and lift your hips in the air, place a towel under your shoulders to protect your neck if necessary. Hold the pose for about 10 seconds.
Remember that at the end of the day, the important thing is that you are going to your mat for yourself and your own wellbeing, not because you feel pressured to look a certain way. I love that I’ve been seeing people using adjectives like strong on social media to describe others rather than handsome or beautiful. I hope you like these suggestions for building up strong legs, but use them because you feel empowered to, not because you feel you need to! What are some of your favorite exercises for your legs?
