12 one-legged yoga poses you must do to improve balance and flexibility

You possibly can at all times do one-legged yoga poses to check your stability. Don’t do them only for enjoyable or to check your self. Standing on one leg to carry out yoga poses may help to attain steadiness and power. Such asanas are significantly useful for older adults as with age, individuals are inclined to have steadiness points. Enhancing steadiness is vital as it could decrease the danger of falls. In case you are a newbie, chances are you’ll discover such poses overly difficult. Nonetheless, with constant follow and persistence, you’ll be able to study to grasp these poses. Bear in mind to start step by step and regulate the one-legged yoga poses to fit your health stage.

Yoga to enhance steadiness

As a teenager, chances are you’ll not have steadiness points. A 2012 evaluation printed in Present Gerontology And Geriatrics Analysis, confirmed that the power to steadiness declines with age. You need to work on it as it might be linked to your life span. In a research, printed within the British Journal Of Sports activities Drugs in 2022, a hyperlink was discovered between the power to steadiness and an extended life. Researchers discovered an 84 p.c larger danger of dying from any trigger for individuals who weren’t capable of stand on one leg for 10 seconds.

Usually doing yoga could assist to cope with steadiness points. It might assist to cut back worry of falling and enhance steadiness in aged individuals, as per analysis printed in PM&R in 2016. One other research, printed in Plos One in 2023, confirmed that following a 16-week yoga intervention, the power of people that carried out yoga had been capable of steadiness their physique higher.

12 one-legged yoga poses it’s best to do

“Attempt these one-legged yoga poses to reinforce steadiness and strengthen your physique,” says yoga skilled Fenil Purohit.

1. Tree Pose (Vrikshasana)

• Tree Pose is without doubt one of the greatest one-legged yoga poses, so stand straight, switch your weight to your left foot and bend your proper knee.
• Preserve your proper foot towards your inside left thigh or calf, avoiding your knee.
• Carry your palms collectively at your coronary heart heart or increase them overhead.
• Keep this pose for five to 10 breaths, then change to the opposite aspect.

2. Warrior III (Virabhadrasana III)

• To do one of many Warrior poses, stand together with your proper foot positioned ahead.
• As you set extra weight onto your proper foot, prolong your left leg straight again.
• Lean your torso ahead till it’s parallel to the bottom.
• Stretch your arms ahead or preserve them relaxed at your sides.
• Maintain it for 5-10 breaths, then change sides.

3. Dancer’s Pose (Natarajasana)

• To do one of many widespread one-legged yoga poses, stand straight, switch your weight to your left foot and bend your proper knee.
• Grasp your proper ankle together with your proper hand.
• Lengthen your left arm ahead whereas lifting your proper leg upward.
• After holding this pose for five to 10 breaths, change sides.

4. Eagle Pose (Garudasana)

• Stand upright and barely bend each your knees.
• Cross your proper thigh over your left thigh.
• Optionally, wrap your proper foot round your left calf.
• Cross your proper arm beneath your left arm, bringing your palms collectively.
• Maintain this pose for 10 breaths, then change sides.

5. Standing Massive Toe Pose (Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana)

• Stand tall and carry your proper leg, bending your knee.
• Grasp your huge toe together with your proper hand.
• Straighten your proper leg ahead (or preserve it bent).
• Lengthen your left arm out to help in steadiness then change sides after 10 seconds.

6. Half Moon Pose (Ardha Chandrasana)

• Stand straight, stretch your proper leg and transfer your weight onto your proper foot.
• Place your proper hand on the ground or a yoga block.
• Increase your again leg (left) in order that it’s parallel to the bottom.
• Open your chest and stretch your left arm upwards.
• Keep the pose for 10 breaths then change to the other aspect.

7. Chair Pose with One Leg (Eka Pada Utkatasana)

• Stand then decrease your physique like sitting in an invisible chair.
• Switch your weight to your left foot and elevate your proper knee.
• Discover your steadiness together with your arms both prolonged ahead or raised overhead.
• Maintain the place for at the very least 5 breaths then change to the opposite aspect.

8. Warrior I with One Leg Lifted

• Stand straight, stretch your proper leg and shift your weight onto it.
• Barely carry your again leg (left one) off the bottom.
• Stability together with your palms in a prayer place or prolonged overhead then change aspect after 10 breaths.

9. Revolved Chair Pose (Parivrtta Utkatasana) on One Leg

• Stand then decrease your physique in a sitting place.
• Barely carry your proper leg off the bottom.
• Twist your torso and produce your left elbow to your proper thigh.
• Change aspect after holding this pose for about 5 seconds.

10. Revolved Half Moon Pose (Parivrtta Ardha Chandrasana)

• Begin in Warrior III.
• Place your proper hand on the ground or a yoga block.
• Twist your torso to the suitable whereas extending your left arm upward.
• Change aspect after 10 breaths.

11. One-Legged Mountain Pose (Eka Pada Tadasana)

• Stand tall.
• Carry your proper knee to hip peak, making certain your palms stay in your hips.
• Give attention to sustaining your steadiness whereas partaking your core.
• Maintain this place for about 5 breaths then transition to the other aspect.

12. Standing Break up (Urdhva Prasarita Eka Padasana)

• To do among the best one-legged yoga poses, convey the entrance of your higher physique in the direction of your decrease physique like folding your physique.
• Shift your weight onto your left foot and lift your proper leg upward.
• Preserve your palms on the bottom or maintain onto your standing ankle for stability.
• Maintain this pose for five to 10 breaths, then change sides to proceed doing among the best one-legged yoga poses.

Advantages of one-legged yoga poses

Doing one-legged yoga poses is nice to your physique:

1. Tree Pose (Vrikshasana)

• It stabilises muscle tissues within the ankles and knees, selling joint well being.
• “It additionally stimulates the pelvic ground and decrease stomach muscle tissues, aiding in spinal alignment,” Says the skilled.

2. Warrior III (Virabhadrasana III)

• This is without doubt one of the greatest one-legged yoga poses because it fortifies the hamstrings, glutes, and decrease again muscle tissues which might be important for motion and spinal assist.
• Enhances core stability by partaking the transversus abdominis and erector spinae.
• Improves steadiness by creating proprioceptive suggestions from the ft and legs.

3. Dancer’s Pose (Natarajasana)

• Good for the quadriceps and hip flexors that may assist in contributing to improved stability.
• Stretches the psoas and iliacus muscle tissues, assuaging pressure within the hip area.
• Enhances chest growth, which boosts lung capability and oxygen consumption.

4. Eagle Pose (Garudasana)

• The Eagle Pose improves joint mobility within the shoulders, hips, and knees.
• “It stabilises muscle tissues within the ankles and ft, lowering the danger of accidents,” says the skilled.

5. Standing Massive Toe Pose (Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana)

• Good for the muscle tissues within the ankles, ft, and core.
• Enhances flexibility within the hamstrings and hips by lengthening the posterior chain.
• Promotes hip joint mobility, lowering stiffness and enhancing vary of movement, making it among the best one-legged yoga poses.

6. Half Moon Pose (Ardha Chandrasana)

• Strengthens the gluteus medius, bettering hip stability and lowering decrease again pressure.
• Enhances spinal alignment and rotation by way of lateral engagement of the physique.

7. Chair Pose with One Leg (Eka Pada Utkatasana)

• Strengthens the quadriceps and calves, enhancing joint stability.
• “It engages the core, bettering spinal alignment and firming stomach muscle tissues,” says Purohit.
• Enhances useful steadiness by stimulating sensory suggestions from the foot.

8. Warrior I with One Leg Elevated

• Strengthens hip flexors and extensors important for sustaining steadiness and posture.
• Prompts decrease again muscle tissues and glutes to reinforce pelvic stability.

9. Revolved Chair Pose (Parivrtta Utkatasana) on One Leg

• Strengthens the indirect and multifidus muscle tissues, enhancing spinal rotation and stability.
• Stimulates digestive organs by way of stomach compression and therapeutic massage.
• “It enhances endurance within the quadriceps and suppleness within the decrease again,” says the skilled.

10. Revolved Half Moon Pose (Parivrtta Ardha Chandrasana)

• Strengthens core muscle tissues for higher spinal rotation and stability.
• Improves flexibility within the hips and hamstrings by stretching the posterior chain.
• “It prompts the thoracic backbone, selling improved rotational mobility,” says Purohit.

11. One-Legged Mountain Pose (Eka Pada Tadasana)

• This model of Mountain Pose strengthens foot muscle tissues, enhancing arch stability and steadiness.
• Prompts deep core muscle tissues, together with the psoas and rectus abdominis.
• Improves postural alignment by selling an upright spinal place.

12. Standing Splits (Urdhva Prasarita Eka Padasana)

• Stretches hamstrings, calves, and gluteal muscle tissues, assuaging stiffness.
• Strengthens the standing leg and core, fostering muscular endurance.
• Enhances hip flexibility and aids in decompressing the decrease again.

Who ought to keep away from one-legged yoga poses?

• Individuals with knee accidents mustn’t follow one-legged yoga poses.
• Individuals who underwent surgical procedure, particularly associated to hips and knees ought to keep away from them.
• One-legged yoga poses want bodily power. Individuals with weak knees and ankles ought to skip these asanas.
• Pregnant girls could fall down whereas doing these asanas and harm themselves, so keep away from them.

One-legged yoga poses could appear to be difficult at first. Be calm and focus on a hard and fast level to keep up steadiness whereas doing these asanas. In case you are not assured, you’ll be able to follow near a wall or incorporate blocks for extra assist.