At a workout class, online or in-person, the trainer almost always sneaks in some yoga lingo like "take a child's pose", "walk the dog out." Or trainers sometimes adapt the name of a yoga pose to something more basic like tricep pushups instead of chaturanga dadasana, but essentially fitness and yoga go hand in hand.
There is a common misconception that yoga is not intense, or only for flexibility and meditation. They don't realize that it is much harder than it looks because yoga poses activate several muscles, it is not an isolated muscle group activity. Yoga at the basic level is accessible to follow, but the more advanced you get the more you can play around with the advanced modifications and dynamic moves.
Adding movement to yoga poses gets the cardio aspect going as you follow yoga's number one rule: move with your breath. As you learn more about yoga, you will find it is not basic at all and adds great dimension to any workout.
When adding some light cardio aspects to yoga, remember it is a marathon, not a race. Do as many reps as you can, but at a steady pace. This helps the body get toned, burn calories and build endurance, not to mention maintaining flexibility.
10 Downward Dog
Downward dog stretches the back of the legs and promotes toned shoulders. Walk the dog, by moving the balls of your feet up and down to stretch those back leg muscles. To take it up a notch, reach your right hand back to touch your left ankle, hold and return to center, repeat but with the left hand and right ankle. Find a pace and repeat the set a few times to get some light cardio.
9 Chaturanga Dandasana
Otherwise known as a tricep pushup, this is a yoga and workout essential because it activates the shoulders, triceps and core. For a modification, take the knees to the floor, you will still get all of the core and upper body benefits. An advanced modification is doing multiple tricep pushups as opposed to holding the static position, pushups are a strengthening and cardio exercise!
8 Warrior I And Warrior II
The Transition from a chair or upward dog to warrior I takes you into a forward high lunge. You can do active lunges from this position, and then switch to warrior II, which is just turning to the side. Switching between warrior I and warrior II also activates the thigh muscles. Lifting and pulsing the ball of the foot can add some dimension to the inner thigh muscles
7 Plank
Plank is every athlete's bread and butter. It activates the upper body and core muscles. To add some cardio do this essential pose, add some plank jacks or mountain climbers. You can go as slow or fast as you feel comfortable, it's a marathon not a race! Alternatively, challenge your body by alternating lifting one of the legs off the group to build more tension in the core.
6 Side Plank
Transition into side plank to activate the oblique muscles in the core, and give some attention to each shoulder muscle. Going back and forward between plank, and both side planks is a great dynamic modification. For some focused core work, take a rep of 10 side curls on each side.
To modify, take one knee down to the ground, you will still be activating the core and the shoulders.
5 Boat Pose
(The) Boat pose helps with balance and activates the core. From a seated position, lift straight legs to a bent position, parallel to the floor and lift your arms to a 70-degree angle. To take it up a notch, make the legs completely straight. The next level would be slowly lowering both directions to the floor and returning back to boat position.
4 Shoulder Stand
Shoulder stand can be a little intimidating to folks new to yoga, but there are plenty of modifications. It will take some core strength from the beginning. Lay down on the mat, and lift your legs to any comfortable point that you can access your back. It is really important to put both hands on your back to support it and make your elbows as close together as possible. Straighten the legs and hold the shoulder stand for 5-7 breaths. You can get creative with your feet for a leg stretch too.
3 Chair Pose
Chair pose is just a yogi squat. Place your feet directly under your hips, and sit back as if there is a chair behind you. Be mindful of the core and keep the back straight. You can hold this static position or pulse for some cardio. Other next-level modifications include lifting the heels or challenging yourself by lifting one foot off the ground.
2 Tree Pose
Tree Pose can be very static for practicing balance, but there are modifications to add some core. Something very important about tree pose is that your food is all the way tucked in your upper thigh or placed below the knee. We never put the foot on the knee directly to avoid injury.
To add some core, bring the knee facing forward and to the side, do pulses. This tones and works all of the leg muscles.
1 Downward Dog Leg Lifts
From a downward dog position, lift one of the legs as high as you can without unstacking your hips. The more you practice this, the more elasticity you will build. You can then swing the knee in under the chest, and push back out again forming a cardio crunch. You can lift the knee to the side instead of bringing it into the chest for some oblique work as well.
The biggest takeaway is yoga can be as advanced as you are willing to modify.
