Contents
Overview
Yoga is a great way to improve your flexibility, strength, and balance. But if you’re looking for a more challenging workout, you may want to consider yoga sculpt.
Yoga sculpt is a type of yoga that incorporates weights into the traditional poses. This adds an extra element of resistance, which can help you to build muscle and burn fat.
Benefits of Yoga Sculpt
Yoga sculpt offers a number of benefits, including:
- Increased strength
- Increased flexibility
- Improved balance
- Increased cardiovascular fitness
- Reduced stress
- Improved sleep
How to Get Started with Yoga Sculpt
If you’re new to yoga sculpt, it’s important to start slowly. Begin with a few simple poses and gradually add more weight and resistance as you get stronger.
Here are a few tips for getting started with yoga sculpt:
- Use a light weight at first and gradually increase the weight as you get stronger.
- Focus on proper form and alignment.
- Listen to your body and rest when you need to.
- Have fun!
Yoga Sculpt Exercises
Here are a few yoga sculpt exercises to get you started:
Horse Calf Raises
- Begin in horse pose, with legs spread out wider than shoulder-width, toes pointing outward, and feet planted firmly on the ground.
- Grasping a weight in each hand, place your hands on your hips.
- Inhale and root down through all four corners of your feet.
- Exhale and lift your left heel off the mat, lower it, and then repeat with your right heel.
- Engage your quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes as you ascend.
- Lift your heels 10 to 15 times on each side.
Shiva Squat
- Start from a forward fold position, knees slightly bent.
- For additional height and balance, hold one side of a dumbbell in both hands and press it into the ground.
- Then extend one leg up into the air as you inhale.
- Exhale and and bring your lifted knee behind your bent standing knee.
- Inhale and extend the leg back up.
- Repeat this 10 to 15 times on each side.
Warrior Two with Weight
- Holding weights in both hands, begin by getting into a warrior II pose.
- With hips and shoulders facing forward, bend your knee 90 degrees.
- Square your shoulders and stack them over your hips.
- Reach your arms in opposite directions, at shoulder height.
- Maintain a micro-bend in your elbows to engage your biceps and triceps.
- Hold for 10 to 15 seconds on both sides.
Halfway Lift
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, then fold your body forward over your legs.
- Next lift up halfway so your back is flat, arms extending toward the ground.
- Be sure to maintain length in your spine and a micro bend in your knees to activate your entire back body.
- Spread your collar bones wide as your lift your chest away from your thighs.
- As you inhale, bring your arms up until your hands are right below your chest.
- Be sure to keep your arms in tight, just grazing the sides of your body.
- Then bring your arms back down.
- Repeat this 15 times.
Side Lateral Raise
- Start in a warrior II stance, arms extended, with a weight in each hand.
- Rotate your torso and head the same direction as your hips, keeping feet planted.
- Keeping arms extended, bring your weights down to your sides.
- Then, as you inhale, lift your arms back up to shoulder height, as you would for warrior II.
- You should feel your shoulders working as you do so.
- Be sure to keep a slight bend in your elbows the entire time.
- Repeat this 15 times on either side.
Supine Chest Press
- Lie on your back and press your feet into the floor.
- Hold one dumbbell in each hand.
- As you inhale, bend your elbows to a 90 degree angle.
- As you exhale, press the weights directly above your shoulders to activate your chest muscles.
- Repeat this 10 to 15 times.
Credit and rights belong to OMG I Yoga
