8 Best Yoga Poses to Tone your Arms

What’s inside?

• How yoga can help to build upper body strength?
• Yoga poses to tone arms

Arms are considered one of those ‘hard to reach’ places to exercise, ones which seems not to show results even when your entire body responds to a workout. Not only can flabby arms make you feel under-confident in sleeveless clothes they are also an indicator of poor upper body strength, which may cause you further problems down the line. As you continue your regular workout, you can integrate some yogic poses that specifically target, stimulate, and tone the arm region, thus helping you shed the fat from this problematic area quickly and without any special tools or equipment. Here are some must-try yoga poses to tone arms –

• Ardha Pincha Mayurasana (Dolphin Pose) – A great beginner’s level pose that works out the entire body, this asana helps in developing balance, stretches out the legs and the chest, and above all, helps in developing arm strength as the weight of your body rests on them. Holding the pose for over a minute will ensure that your arm muscles are engaged and get that extra fat burn you are looking for.

• Vasistha Asana (Side Plank Pose) – Yet another beginner’s pose, this asana helps in targetting the entire arm from the wrist to the shoulder girdle, and also improves balance. As a bonus, your obliques and chest are also stretched and opened. Since your body weight will rest on your wrists, make sure that you assume the pose properly, and avoid it if you have any pain or injuries in any part of your arm, especially the wrist or palms.

• Bakasana – If you are up for something challenging and feel that your upper body strength needs a little workout, try this intense Hatha yoga asana. Requiring effort from both the mind and body, this asana will surely engage your arms and burn out the excessive fat while strengthening your forearms, shoulders, and wrist. It may be best, however, to start practising this asana under supervision and make use of support if necessary.

• Chaturanga Dandasana (Four Limb Staff Pose) – A part of the Surya Namaskara and one of the best yoga poses to tone arms, this asana is yoga’s answer to the western planks, and similarly works the entire body and engages the core. As your body weight rests on the shoulders and wrists, this asana gives a great challenge to the entire arms. You can begin by practising the asana upright against a wall or use support under you body to ensure correct posture.

• Adho Mukha Savasana (Downward Dog) – This pose is often considered an essential part of any yoga session, and for good reason. Easily doable by even beginners, this asana engages the whole body as it stretches out the legs and hips and strengthens the arms. As the aim of the asana is to push away the floor with your hands, you engage your entire arms in a unique way, thus offering great fat burn.

• Adho Mukha Vriksahasana (Hand Stand Pose) – What can be a better pose out of the rest yoga poses to tone arms than putting the entire body weight of yours on it? While it may look very challenging, the handstand pose is certainly something you can work towards with practice and props like a wall. The longer you stay in the pose, the more engaged your hands are, and the more will your concentration, strength, and sense of achievement will be. We recommend this video tutorial for beginners to practice hand stand.

• Chakra Asana (Wheel Pose) – You may be lost in the quest for balance and the intense stretch to the abdominal region this asana provides, but this asana certainly gives a great workout to the shoulders and arms as well. Instead of staying in the pose, hold for a few seconds and repeat – this will not only prevent injuries and exhaustion but the repeated engagement will be a great fat burner.

• Mayur Asana (Peacock Pose) – Yet another pose, out of the best yoga poses to tone arms that works the entire region from the shoulders to the palms, this asana requires and develops both strength and balance. Even when done with props the arms are well engaged, and you are sure to get a great burn from this pose. Be sure to protect your wrists, as they will face considerable pressure.

And there you have it – integrating these yoga poses into your daily routine is not only going to help you tone your arms and strengthen them but is also energize and strengthen your entire body. Remember that when it comes to yoga poses centered around the shoulders and the arms, you should always be wary of existing injuries – ailments like carpal tunnel, or any other wrist injuries, elbow pains or shoulder problems can become more serious if you undertake intense yogic sessions without due caution. So listen to your body, because the ultimate aim is to achieve a healthy body.  A better way to start is by choosing a yoga expert to give you guided yoga session.