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Yoga is an excellent general fitness discipline that also helps us to tone and preserve our muscle mass. If your goal is to tone, strengthen and improve the appearance of your thighs and core, yoga can also be a great option to meet your goal, as there are numerous asanas that activate and tone especially legs and abdomen, which would also add the work of muscle activation involving breathing and bandhas or closures.
Beyond the aesthetic benefits, toning legs and core will bring you many functional benefits as you will have more strength, improve your performance in the sports you practice (such as running, skiing or paddle) and, in the case of the core, its strengthening will help you improve your posture and avoid back problems and pathologies.
So you can see for yourself@ the effect of the practice of yoga on thighs and core, we have asked Gemma Casserras (@gemmyoga), Power Yoga teacher, a special sequence to tone these areas of the body and you can start practicing today!
The most toning yoga styles
Which style would be the most suitable if your goal is to tone especially these parts of the body? Hatha Yoga, "the yoga of energy" is a comprehensive work of muscle toning for the whole body and is the perfect style to get started in this practice.
If you like intense physical activities, you will love Ashtanga Yoga, Vinyasa Yoga, Rocket Yoga and Power Yoga, three super-powerful dynamic styles to tone and define the whole body, especially Power Yoga, one of the newest yoga disciplines. This style of yoga, more creative, free and fun, gives priority to physical work (combining cardio and toning sequences) but without forgetting the essence of yoga, so it can be the perfect style for those looking for a motivating workout that also brings calm and connection with their spiritual side.
Another advantage of choosing yoga as a fitness and toning discipline is that it is a low-impact practice, which reduces the risk of injury and is suitable for everyone.
Breathing and bandhas also tone up
In addition to the strength work involved in yoga asanas, this discipline also has two powerful tools for energetic and muscular activation: pranayama and bandhas or locks, which are added during the performance of the postures and involve the toning of the core and pelvic floor as a side effect.
Pranayamas such as kapalabhati or ujjayi breathing tone the abdominal muscles during their execution and help to define and reduce the waist circumference, as well as massaging the internal organs, stimulating the digestive system, expanding the respiratory capacity and increasing our energy level.
Regarding bandhas, as Gemma Caserras explains, "they are energetic closures or 'blockages' that are performed by activating the internal muscles, and are essential to tone and strengthen the core". Gemma explains what the main bandhas are, what benefits they have and how to do them yourself@:
- MulaBandha (root lock). It is activated by contracting the pelvic floor muscles. It is essential for strengthening the core and lower abdomen.
- Uddiyana Bandha (abdominal lock). It consists of the contraction of the abdomen inward and upward. It is excellent for toning the upper abdomen and improving digestion.
- JalandharaBandha (throat lock). Although more focused on breathing, this bandha helps improve circulation and activate the upper body area.
You now have one more tool to tone your abdomen and pelvic floor without the need for crunches.
Yoga routine to tone your thighs and core
Here you have the 20-minute toning sequence focused on thighs and abdomen that Gemma Casserras has prepared for us and that you can do comfortably at any time or anywhere, you just need a yoga mat and comfortable clothes.
This routine begins with kapalabati, a powerful breathing that also activates and tones the core, continues with a gentle flowto prepare the body, followed by 3 rounds of Sun Salutations or Surya Namaskar, a sequence of specific postures to tone legs and core, and ends with a nice relaxation in shavasana.
Are you up for it?
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