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

You’ll be able to 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 can assist to attain stability and power. Such asanas are notably helpful for older adults as with age, individuals are inclined to have stability points. Enhancing stability is necessary as it might decrease the chance of falls. If you’re a newbie, you could discover such poses overly difficult. Nevertheless, with constant follow and persistence, you may study to grasp these poses. Bear in mind to start regularly and regulate the one-legged yoga poses to fit your health stage.

Yoga to enhance stability

As a teenager, you could not have stability points. A 2012 evaluation revealed in Present Gerontology And Geriatrics Analysis, confirmed that the flexibility to stability declines with age. It is best to work on it as it might be related to your life span. In a examine, revealed within the British Journal Of Sports activities Drugs in 2022, a hyperlink was discovered between the flexibility to stability and an extended life. Researchers discovered an 84 p.c greater threat of demise from any trigger for individuals who weren’t in a position to stand on one leg for 10 seconds.

Often doing yoga might assist to cope with stability points. It could assist to scale back concern of falling and enhance stability in aged individuals, as per analysis revealed in PM&R in 2016. One other examine, revealed in Plos One in 2023, confirmed that following a 16-week yoga intervention, the flexibility of people that carried out yoga have been in a position to stability their physique higher.

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

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

1. Tree Pose (Vrikshasana)

• Tree Pose is without doubt one of the finest one-legged yoga poses, so stand straight, switch your weight to your left foot and bend your proper knee.
• Preserve your proper foot in opposition to your interior left thigh or calf, avoiding your knee.
• Convey your arms collectively at your coronary heart middle or elevate them overhead.
• Keep this pose for five to 10 breaths, then swap to the opposite facet.

2. Warrior III (Virabhadrasana III)

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

3. Dancer’s Pose (Natarajasana)

• To do one of many in style one-legged yoga poses, stand straight, switch your weight to your left foot and bend your proper knee.
• Grasp your proper ankle along with your proper hand.
• Prolong your left arm ahead whereas lifting your proper leg upward.
• After holding this pose for five to 10 breaths, swap 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 Large Toe Pose (Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana)

• Stand tall and carry your proper leg, bending your knee.
• Grasp your large toe along with your proper hand.
• Straighten your proper leg ahead (or hold it bent).
• Prolong your left arm out to assist in stability then swap 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.
• Elevate 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 swap to the alternative facet.

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 stability along with your arms both prolonged ahead or raised overhead.
• Maintain the place for at the very least 5 breaths then swap to the opposite facet.

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 along with your arms in a prayer place or prolonged overhead then swap facet 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 facet 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.
• Swap facet after 10 breaths.

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

• Stand tall.
• Raise your proper knee to hip top, guaranteeing your arms stay in your hips.
• Give attention to sustaining your stability whereas participating your core.
• Maintain this place for about 5 breaths then transition to the alternative facet.

12. Standing Break up (Urdhva Prasarita Eka Padasana)

• To do among the finest one-legged yoga poses, deliver the entrance of your higher physique in direction of your decrease physique like folding your physique.
• Shift your weight onto your left foot and lift your proper leg upward.
• Preserve your arms on the bottom or maintain onto your standing ankle for stability.
• Maintain this pose for five to 10 breaths, then swap sides to proceed doing among the finest 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 groups within the ankles and knees, selling joint well being.
• “It additionally stimulates the pelvic flooring and decrease belly muscle groups, aiding in spinal alignment,” Says the skilled.

2. Warrior III (Virabhadrasana III)

• This is without doubt one of the finest one-legged yoga poses because it fortifies the hamstrings, glutes, and decrease again muscle groups which can be important for motion and spinal help.
• Enhances core stability by participating the transversus abdominis and erector spinae.
• Improves stability by creating proprioceptive suggestions from the toes 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 groups, assuaging stress within the hip area.
• Enhances chest enlargement, 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 groups within the ankles and toes, lowering the chance of accidents,” says the skilled.

5. Standing Large Toe Pose (Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana)

• Good for the muscle groups within the ankles, toes, 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 finest 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 belly muscle groups,” says Purohit.
• Enhances useful stability by stimulating sensory suggestions from the foot.

8. Warrior I with One Leg Elevated

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

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

• Strengthens the indirect and multifidus muscle groups, enhancing spinal rotation and stability.
• Stimulates digestive organs by way of belly 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 groups 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 groups, enhancing arch stability and stability.
• Prompts deep core muscle groups, 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 groups, 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 ladies might fall down whereas doing these asanas and harm themselves, so keep away from them.

One-legged yoga poses might appear to be difficult at first. Be calm and focus on a set level to take care of stability whereas doing these asanas. If you’re not assured, you may follow near a wall or incorporate blocks for added help.