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

You possibly can all the time 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 energy. Such asanas are significantly useful for older adults as with age, individuals are likely to have steadiness points. Enhancing steadiness is vital as it may possibly decrease the danger of falls. In case you are a newbie, it’s possible you’ll discover such poses overly difficult. Nonetheless, with constant follow and endurance, you possibly can be taught to grasp these poses. Keep in mind to start steadily and regulate the one-legged yoga poses to fit your health stage.

Yoga to enhance steadiness

As a teenager, it’s possible you’ll not have steadiness points. A 2012 evaluation printed in Present Gerontology And Geriatrics Analysis, confirmed that the flexibility to steadiness declines with age. It’s best to work on it as it might be linked to your life span. In a examine, printed within the British Journal Of Sports activities Medication in 2022, a hyperlink was discovered between the flexibility to steadiness and an extended life. Researchers discovered an 84 % increased threat of dying from any trigger for individuals who weren’t capable of stand on one leg for 10 seconds.

Repeatedly doing yoga might assist to take care of steadiness points. It might assist to cut back concern of falling and enhance steadiness in aged individuals, as per analysis printed in PM&R in 2016. One other examine, printed in Plos One in 2023, confirmed that following a 16-week yoga intervention, the flexibility of people that carried out yoga have been capable of steadiness their physique higher.

12 one-legged yoga poses it is best to do

“Strive these one-legged yoga poses to reinforce steadiness and strengthen your physique,” says yoga knowledgeable 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.
• Hold your proper foot towards your inside left thigh or calf, avoiding your knee.
• Carry your palms collectively at your coronary heart middle or increase 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 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 maintain 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.
• 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 raise your proper leg, bending your knee.
• Grasp your huge toe together with your proper hand.
• Straighten your proper leg ahead (or maintain it bent).
• Prolong your left arm out to help in steadiness 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.
• 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 swap to the other 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 steadiness together with your arms both prolonged ahead or raised overhead.
• Maintain the place for at the 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 raise your again leg (left one) off the bottom.
• Stability together with your palms 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 raise 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 appropriate 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 peak, guaranteeing your palms stay in your hips.
• Deal with sustaining your steadiness whereas partaking your core.
• Maintain this place for about 5 breaths then transition to the other facet.

12. Standing Break up (Urdhva Prasarita Eka Padasana)

• To do probably the greatest one-legged yoga poses, convey 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.
• Hold your palms 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 probably the greatest one-legged yoga poses.

Advantages of one-legged yoga poses

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

1. Tree Pose (Vrikshasana)

• It stabilises muscle tissue within the ankles and knees, selling joint well being.
• “It additionally stimulates the pelvic flooring and decrease belly muscle tissue, aiding in spinal alignment,” Says the knowledgeable.

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 tissue which are important for motion and spinal help.
• 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 tissue, 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 tissue within the ankles and ft, decreasing the danger of accidents,” says the knowledgeable.

5. Standing Large Toe Pose (Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana)

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

6. Half Moon Pose (Ardha Chandrasana)

• Strengthens the gluteus medius, enhancing hip stability and decreasing decrease again pressure.
• Enhances spinal alignment and rotation via 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, enhancing spinal alignment and firming belly muscle tissue,” 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 tissue and glutes to reinforce pelvic stability.

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

• Strengthens the indirect and multifidus muscle tissue, enhancing spinal rotation and stability.
• Stimulates digestive organs via belly compression and therapeutic massage.
• “It enhances endurance within the quadriceps and suppleness within the decrease again,” says the knowledgeable.

10. Revolved Half Moon Pose (Parivrtta Ardha Chandrasana)

• Strengthens core muscle tissue 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 tissue, enhancing arch stability and steadiness.
• Prompts deep core muscle tissue, 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 tissue, 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 shouldn’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 energy. Individuals with weak knees and ankles ought to skip these asanas.
• Pregnant girls 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 hard and fast level to keep up steadiness whereas doing these asanas. In case you are not assured, you possibly can follow near a wall or incorporate blocks for added help.