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

You possibly can all the time do a single leg yoga pose to check your stability. Do not do these only for enjoyable or to check your self. Standing on one leg and performing yoga poses might help enhance your steadiness and power. Such asanas are particularly useful for older folks, who turn out to be extra vulnerable to steadiness issues as they age. Enhancing your steadiness is necessary to decrease your danger of falls. Freshmen might discover such poses too tough. Nevertheless, with constant apply and endurance, you’ll be able to grasp these poses. Keep in mind to begin progressively and alter single leg yoga poses to fit your health stage.

yoga to enhance steadiness

You might not have steadiness issues if you find yourself younger. A 2012 evaluation printed in Present Gerontology And Geriatrics Analysis confirmed that steadiness capability declines with age. It might have an effect on your lifespan, so please give it a strive. A research printed within the British Journal of Sports activities Drugs in 2022 discovered a hyperlink between steadiness capability and longevity. Researchers discovered that individuals who could not stand on one leg for 10 seconds had an 84 % increased danger of dying from any trigger.

Practising yoga frequently might help tackle steadiness points. It might assist cut back concern of falling and enhance steadiness in older adults, in keeping with a 2016 research printed within the journal PM&R. One other research printed within the journal Plos One in 2023 confirmed that after a 16-week yoga intervention, individuals who practiced yoga improved their efficiency. Yoga has improved my physique steadiness.

12 one-legged yoga poses you need to strive

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

1. Tree Pose (Vrikshasana)

• Tree pose is without doubt one of the finest single-legged yoga poses, so rise up straight, shift your weight to your left leg, and bend your proper knee.
• Place your proper foot on the within of your left thigh or calf, avoiding your knee.
• Convey your palms collectively at your coronary heart middle or elevate them above your head.
• Maintain this pose for five to 10 breaths, then swap to the opposite facet.

2. Warrior III (Virabhadrasana III)

• To carry out one of many warrior poses, stand along with your proper foot ahead.
• Shift your weight onto your proper leg and prolong your left leg straight behind you.
• Lean your higher physique ahead till it’s parallel to the bottom.
• Stretch your arms out in entrance of you or hold them relaxed at your sides.
• Maintain it for five to 10 breaths, then change sides.

3. Dancer’s Pose (Natarajasana)

• To carry out one of many standard one-legged yoga poses, stand straight, shift your weight to your left foot, and bend your proper knee.
• Grasp your proper ankle along with your proper hand.
• Elevate your proper leg up whereas extending your left arm in entrance of you.
• Maintain this pose for five to 10 breaths, then swap our bodies.

4. Eagle Pose (Gardasana)

• Stand upright with each knees barely bent.
• Cross your proper thigh over your left thigh.
• If needed, wrap your proper leg round your left calf.
• Cross your proper arm underneath your left arm and place your palms collectively.
• Maintain this pose for 10 breaths, then flip round.

5. Standing Large Toe Pose (Utthita Hasta Padangasthasana)

• Stand tall, elevate your proper leg and bend your knee.
• Grasp the large toe along with your proper hand.
• Lengthen your proper leg in entrance of you (or hold it bent).
• Stretch your left arm for steadiness, then swap sides after 10 seconds.

6. Half Moon Pose (Ardha Chandrasana)

• Stand straight, prolong your proper leg and shift your weight to it.
• Place your proper hand on the ground or yoga block.
• Elevate your again leg (left) in order that it’s parallel to the bottom.
• Open your chest and prolong your left arm upwards.
• Maintain the pose for 10 breaths, then swap to the opposite facet.

7. One-legged chair pose (Eka Pada Utkatasana)

• Stand and decrease your physique as for those who have been sitting on an invisible chair.
• Shift your weight to your left foot and lift your proper knee.
• Stretch your arms out in entrance of you or elevate them above your head for steadiness.
• Maintain the place for at the very least 5 breaths, then swap to the opposite facet.

8. Warrior with one leg up I

• Stand straight, prolong your proper leg and place your weight on it.
• Carry your again leg (left facet) barely off the bottom.
• Maintain your palms in a prayer place or stretch them above your head for steadiness, take 10 breaths, then flip to your facet.

9. One Leg Swivel Chair Pose (Parivrutta Utkatasana)

• Decrease your physique right into a standing and sitting place.
• Carry your proper foot barely off the bottom.
• Twist your torso and produce your left elbow towards your proper thigh.
• Maintain this pose for about 5 seconds, then flip round.

10. Rotating Half Moon Pose (Parivrutta Ardha Chandrasana)

• Begin with Warrior III.
• Place your proper hand on the ground or yoga block.
• Twist your torso to the best whereas extending your left arm upwards.
• After 10 breaths, swap sides.

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

• Stand tall.
• Elevate your proper knee to hip peak and ensure your palms are in your hips.
• Deal with sustaining your steadiness whereas strengthening your core.
• Maintain this place for about 5 breaths, then transfer to the opposite facet.

12. Standing Break up (Urdva Prasarita Eka Padasana)

• To carry out among the finest one-legged yoga poses, fold your physique in order that the entrance of your higher physique is nearer to your decrease physique.
• Shift your weight to your left foot and raise your proper leg up.
• Place your palms on the bottom or seize your standing ankle for stability.
• Maintain this pose for five to 10 breaths, then swap sides and proceed with one in every of yoga’s finest single-leg poses.

Advantages of yoga one leg pose

Doing yoga poses on one leg is superb in your physique.

1. Tree Pose (Vrikshasana)

• Stabilizes ankle and knee muscular tissues and promotes joint well being.
• “It additionally stimulates your pelvic flooring muscular tissues and decrease stomach muscular tissues, serving to to align your backbone,” says the skilled.

2. Warrior III (Virabhadrasana III)

• This is without doubt one of the finest single-legged yoga poses as a result of it strengthens the hamstrings, glutes, and decrease again muscular tissues, that are important for motion and spinal help.
• By linking the transversus abdominis and erector spinae muscular tissues, it will increase the soundness of the trunk.
• Improves steadiness by growing proprioceptive suggestions from the ft and legs.

3. Dancer’s Pose (Natarajasana)

• It targets the quadriceps and hip flexors and helps enhance stability.
• It stretches the psoas and iliac muscular tissues and relieves stress within the hip space.
• Strengthens chest enlargement, will increase lung capability and oxygen uptake.

4. Eagle Pose (Gardasana)

• Eagle pose improves joint mobility within the shoulders, hips, and knees.
• “It stabilizes the muscular tissues of the ankle and foot, decreasing the chance of harm,” says the skilled.

5. Standing Large Toe Pose (Utthita Hasta Padangasthasana)

• Good for ankle, foot and core muscular tissues.
• An extended rear chain will increase hamstring and hip flexibility.
• It promotes hip mobility, reduces stiffness, and will increase vary of movement, making it among the finest single-legged yoga poses.

6. Half Moon Pose (Ardha Chandrasana)

• Strengthens the gluteus medius, improves hip stability and reduces decrease again pressure.
• Lateral articulation of the physique enhances spinal alignment and rotation.

7. One-legged chair pose (Eka Pada Utkatasana)

• Strengthens the quadriceps and calves, rising joint stability.
• “It strengthens your core, improves spinal alignment, and tones your stomach muscular tissues,” says Purohit.
• Enhances purposeful steadiness by stimulating sensory suggestions from the ft.

8. Warrior with one leg up I

• Strengthens the hip flexors and extensors, that are important for sustaining steadiness and posture.
• Prompts the decrease again muscular tissues and gluteal muscular tissues to extend pelvic stability.

9. One Leg Swivel Chair Pose (Parivrutta Utkatasana)

• Strengthens the obliques and multifidus muscular tissues, rising spinal rotation and stability.
• Stimulates the digestive system by compressing and massaging the stomach.
• “It improves quadriceps endurance and decrease again flexibility,” consultants say.

10. Rotating Half Moon Pose (Parivrutta Ardha Chandrasana)

• Strengthens core muscular tissues and improves spinal rotation and stability.
• Stretching the posterior chain improves hip and hamstring flexibility.
• “It prompts the thoracic backbone and promotes improved rotational mobility,” says Purohit.

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

• This model of Mountain Pose strengthens your leg muscular tissues and improves arch stability and steadiness.
• Prompts deep muscular tissues similar to psoas main and rectus abdominis.
• Improves postural alignment by selling an upright place of the backbone.

12. Standing Break up (Urdva Prasarita Eka Padasana)

• Stretch your hamstrings, calves, and buttocks muscular tissues and relieve stiffness.
• Strengthens your standing legs and core, and develops muscular endurance.
• Will increase flexibility of the hip joint and reduces stress on the decrease again.

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

• Folks with knee accidents mustn’t apply yoga poses on one leg.
• Keep away from particularly when you have undergone hip or knee associated surgical procedure.
• One-legged poses in yoga require bodily power. Folks with weak knees or ankles ought to skip these asanas.
• Pregnant ladies ought to keep away from doing these asanas as they might fall and injure themselves.

One-legged yoga poses could appear tough at first. Whereas performing these asanas, stay calm, centered and balanced. In case you’re not assured, you’ll be able to apply close to a wall or incorporate blocks for extra help.