- Yoga uses stretching and pose-holding techniques to tone and strengthen your body.yoga image by Jiang Bin Ping from Fotolia.com
Yoga is an ancient method of meditation and exercise that is beneficial to all parts of the body and can benefit one's spiritual well-being in the process. Rather than high-energy aerobic moves, yoga works the muscles by forcing the body to stay in poses for some duration of time. Yoga uses gravity and the body's own weight to tone muscle; no weights or gym membership are required. - Many yoga exercises will benefit your legs. By toning your inner thigh muscles, you will be eliminating fat and slimming them down. For the wide-legged split, you'll have to sit on your backside and spread your legs as far apart as you can. Roll forward on your hips until you are laying face down on the floor with your legs still spread. Use the bottom of your feet to lift up your hips and backside off the floor. Keep your upper torso and head on the floor and place your arms beneath you, also resting straight on the floor. Don't use your arms for support. This exercise is supposed to tone your legs, so use your quads to keep you lifted.
- In this pose you'll do in somewhat of a standing position. It mimics the pose of so many Hindu god and goddess statues with legs and arms bent 90 degrees at the joints, extended outward. Stand up and spread your legs apart. Bend until your knees are at 90 degrees; make sure your feet are flat on the floor and your hips are vertical. Next, spread your arms apart and bend your elbows at 90 degrees. Make sure your forearms are bent upward and your palms are facing outward.
- This pose is fairly simple. Take one step forward as if you are doing a lunge. Keep your back leg straight and your front leg bent at 90 degrees. Hold this pose then return to a standing position. When you repeat this pose you will be toning your thighs and quads.
