One of the questions we hear many people asking as they get into the beautiful world of yoga is if yoga can tone your body.
It’s a question that’s so easily asked yet one that requires a carefully stitched conclusion sourced from the factual wisdom of physiology.
That means it takes more than a “yes” or “no” to understand the multiple layers of its conclusions. Because in essence, yoga is indeed more than flexibility; it also has roots in being a strength and endurance builder.
After getting asked this a lot in our yoga teacher training program, we decided to dig to the roots of physiology for a convincing conclusion. And in this blog post, we’re bringing our well-defined answer to light for yogis of all levels to understand.
So, does yoga tone body? Let’s find out that and more!
What ‘Toning’ Your Body Actually Means
From a physiological perspective, toning means building lean, less fatty, definitive muscle. It isn’t simply getting bulky or building strength, as those are two other ways of treating your muscle.
Bulk vs. Strength vs. Muscle Tone
Bulking is all about building the overall mass and size of your muscle. It’s a way of making you look bulky, bigger, and stronger.
Strength defines how strong those muscles are. It defines the level of force you’re able to create with any physical activity.
More muscle doesn’t necessarily mean more strength and vice versa.
Toning, however, is more about improving the definition of those muscles and maintaining their rigidity at rest.
While you can build muscle and strength with fat, toning is about reducing that fat and making your muscle more lean and well-defined.
So, Can Yoga Tone Your Body?
Here’s the simplest version of the most accurate answer to this question: Yes, yoga can help in toning your body, but it can only do so much on its own.
- You cannot rely on yoga alone to fully tone your body.
- It does help, but it cannot 100% tone your body on its own.
- Treat yoga as a complementary exercise to a dedicated toning workout.
What yoga can do better is improve your core strength, flexibility, and mind-body connection. These are areas that yoga, on its own, can bring about a massive improvement in you.
So, can yoga help tone your body? Yes, it can help, but yoga alone cannot 100% tone your muscles.
How Can Yoga Tone Muscles?
Just like working out in a gym, yoga asanas can also engage specific muscle groups in your body. By activating and engaging these muscle groups, you are building muscle and strength and toning the muscles as well.
However, just not with the same intensity or progress you get in the gym.
Because even though the asanas do engage your muscle groups, these poses are more focused on enhancing a yogi’s balance, flexibility, and mind-body connection.
But there are certain poses that can also slightly aid in bulking, strengthening, and toning your muscles as well. We’ve witnessed this in the more advanced yogis in our yoga teacher training program.
Key Mechanisms of How Yoga Tones Your Body
Yoga seamlessly incorporates isometric holds, where muscles are engaged to hold the body in a specific, static position for a period of time.
A few of the most famous of such poses are the plank, chair pose, and tree pose.
By maintaining these poses, you’re essentially supporting the body by putting certain muscle groups to work. Keep in mind that these muscles are under stress not with movement, but with the sheer weight of your body in a static state.
This static state of supporting your body weight results in bulking, strengthening, and toning your engaged muscles.
Toning Your Body: Yoga vs. Gym Workouts
When comparing yoga with traditional workouts, yoga comes across as an all-rounder.
- Primarily, it can improve your balance, flexibility, and mind-body connection.
- Secondarily, it can also help in bulking, strengthening, and toning your muscles.
Traditional gym workouts with machines or weights are great to further fine-tune your muscles. They can get you bulkier, stronger, and even more toned, faster.
The Well-Rounded Approach: Yoga
Yoga is a holistic approach that seamlessly incorporates physical, mental, and spiritual exercises. However, it should not be your only choice of workout if you’re trying to sculpt a perfectly toned, immensely strong, visually bulky body.
Because that is simply not what yoga is. While it does help in physically enhancing you, it won’t do as intense and as fine-tuned a job as gym workouts do.
Instead of just visually pleasing factors, yoga combines mental and spiritual well-being as well. It’s the well-rounded approach that improves you inside and out.
The Hardcore Approach: Gym Workouts
Traditional workouts are more focused on bulk and strength. This is your ideal choice if you’re looking to develop a body with muscles sculpted to perfection and strength enhanced to its peak.
The tradeoff here is that it fails to improve your mental or spiritual well-being compared to yoga.
But you’ll train on pushing your limits to become the physically strongest version of yourself. That most often means burning as much fat, building as much muscle, and toning them to as much perfection as possible.
The Comprehensive Approach: Yoga & Gym
To keep yourself healthy inside and out, it’s good to do a bit of both. Doing yoga and traditional workouts can keep you fit and healthy, mentally and physically.
At the end of the day, it all depends on what you’re trying to achieve. This comprehensive approach is good if you want the visual appeal and mental clarity.
But a rule of thumb is not to think of traditional workouts as a replacement for yoga and vice versa.
Top 10 Yoga Poses to Tone Your Body
1. Forearm Plank (Phalakasana)
The forearm plank is a great core workout that’s most often recommended for toning your body. Here’s how you can get into Phalakasana:
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- Begin with the Plank pose:
- Start by getting on all fours, with your shoulders aligned over your wrists.
- Push your arms into the floor to push your upper body away from the floor.
- Spread your fingers, with your middle fingers pointed forward.
- Stretch your legs backward and rest them firmly on the floor with their toes, creating a high push-up position.
- Look at the floor slightly ahead of you.
- One arm at a time, lower onto your forearms.
- Turn your forearms sideways, with your palms facing each other.
- Clench your fists and hold the position, starting from at least 30 seconds.
2. Side Plank (Vasisthasana)
A side plank is one of the top 10 intermediate yoga poses that doubles as a great workout for your core, arms, and oblique abdominal muscles (sides of your torso.)
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- Begin with the Plank pose:
- Start by getting on all fours, with your shoulders aligned over your wrists.
- Push your arms into the floor to push your upper body away from the floor.
- Spread your fingers, with your middle fingers pointed forward.
- Stretch your legs backward and rest them firmly on the floor with their toes, creating a high push-up position.
- Look at the floor slightly ahead of you.
- Shift weight to your right arm, release your left arm, and look to the left by slowly rotating your entire body.
- Extend your left hand straight to the ceiling, while supporting the weight of your body with your right hand pushed into the floor.
- Stack your left foot on top of your right foot, with the outer edge of your right foot rested firmly on the floor for stability.
- Hold the position starting from at least 30 seconds, switch to the other side, and repeat.
3. Upward/Reverse Plank (Purvottanasana)
This is another one of the versions of a plank, which similarly activates your core muscles. It’s also a great yoga pose for your triceps, helping you tone them.
The step-by-step process to getting into Purvottasana:
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- Get into the Seated Staff position (Dandasana):
- Sit on the floor.
- Extend your legs forward.
- Sit upright, with your spine straight.
- And rest your arms at your side.
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- Lean back and bend your elbows until you feel your shoulders loose and free.
- Slightly bring your hands back as you lean, aligning your wrists with your elbows.
- Lift your hips by pushing your hands and heels into the ground, until you form a slanting line from your head to toes.
- Hold the position for at least 30 seconds, and gradually increase it as you become more and more familiar.
4. Four-Limbed Staff Pose (Chaturanga Dandasana)
The four-limbed staff pose is another version of a plank, and is often known as the yoga version of a push-up. This makes it a great workout for toning your arms.
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- Begin with the Plank pose:
- Start by getting on all fours, with your shoulders aligned over your wrists.
- Push your arms into the floor to push your upper body away from the floor.
- Spread your fingers, with your middle fingers pointed forward.
- Stretch your legs backward and rest them firmly on the floor with their toes, creating a high push-up position.
- Look at the floor slightly ahead of you.
- Slowly bend your elbows to bring yourself down. Stop when your upper arms are parallel to the floor, creating a low push-up position.
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- Ideally, your shoulders should be at the same height as your elbows. If that puts too much stress, keep your shoulders at least slightly above your elbows.
- But your shoulders must never go below your elbows.
- Keep your elbows close, almost touching your body.
- Start by holding this position for at least 10 seconds, with gradual increments as you go by.
5. Bridge Pose (Setu Bandhasana)
The bridge pose is one of the top 10 yoga poses for beginners that can tone your body by focusing on activating your abs, glutes, and thighs.
It is also one of the top 10 yoga poses for sciatica pain, making it an effective workout that checks out three benefits in one go. Here’s how to get into the Bridge pose:
- Lay flat on the floor, with your arms resting alongside your torso, while keeping your legs just half a foot apart.
- Bend your legs to the point your knees are facing straight at the ceiling and your soles are resting flat on the floor.
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- Slowly push your hips up off the floor to the point they face the ceiling.
- Push your hips as high as possible.
- Keep your hands and shoulders rested firmly on the floor, without lifting them up.
- Look towards your heart and hold the pose for at least 20 seconds or 5–7 breaths, with gradual increments as you get familiar with it.
6. Chair Pose (Utkatasana)
Utkatasana is a yogic version of a squat, which effectively activates your legs and glutes that will aid in toning the muscles there.
- Stand straight on your yoga mat by keeping your legs hip-width apart.
- Bring your arms straight up towards the ceiling, and join the palms together, creating Anjali Mudra.
- Slowly bend your knees while keeping your upper body straight and intact, as if you’re going to sit down on a chair.
- Align your knees over your toes.
- Breathe and hold the pose for 20 seconds, release the pose, and repeat twice.
7. Boat Pose (Paripurna Navasana)
The boat pose is another one from the list of the top 10 intermediate yoga poses. It’s a V-shaped yoga pose that engages the core, helping you tone your abs and glutes.
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- Begin with the Seated Staff position (Dandasana):
- Sit on the floor.
- Extend your legs forward.
- Sit upright, with your spine straight.
- And rest your arms at your side.
- Bend your knees and fold your legs, with your knees facing the ceiling and the soles of your feet rested firmly on the floor.
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- Lower your back about 15 degrees, and raise your shins to bring them parallel to the floor.
- Your thighs and torso should now create a V shape.
- Keep your legs together and your back straight, but slightly slanted.
- Lift and bring your hands to the side of your knees, making your hands parallel to the floor as well.
- Hold the pose for about 20 seconds or 5–7 breaths, with gradual increments as you get better at it.
8. Upward-Facing Dog Pose (Urdhva Mukha Shvanasana)
This is one of the best stretching exercises in yoga, which can help you tone your chest, shoulders, and abs.
- Lie down flat on the ground with the front of your body.
- Bring and rest your palms on the floor to the sides of your chest.
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- Push into the floor with your hands to arch up your body and spine.
- Make sure to fully stretch your hands in this pose.
- Fully stretch your spine as well, to the point your face and chest are facing forward.
- Make sure the top of your legs are touching the floor.
- Hold the pose for 20 seconds or 5–7 breaths, return to the resting position, and repeat twice.
9. Downward Dog Pose (Adho Mukha Svanasana)
Downward Dog is a transitional and resting pose in yoga that hails from the list of top 10 yoga poses for beginners. It is also another one of the yoga poses that help with sciatica pain.
Downward-Facing Dog is known to stretch almost every muscle in a human body. But it’s particularly helpful in toning your arms and shoulders.
- To start with, get down on all fours.
- Align your hands exactly below your shoulders, and your knees exactly below your hips.
- Position your knees and feet hip-width apart.
- Slowly lift your knees off the floor and push your buttocks out (backward and upward.)
- Keep pushing till you can fully straighten and stretch your legs. Lift your feet off the floor and support the pose with your toes.
- Stretch your chest and tuck in your torso to the point your head is aligned right inside your elbows.
- Try looking towards your feet to complete the pose.
- Hold the pose for 15 seconds or 5–7 breaths, with gradual increments as you become more and more flexible.
10. Dolphin Pose (Ardha Pincha Mayurasana)
Dolphin pose is a variation of the Downward Dog pose, which is, again, known for stretching almost every muscle in our body and one of the best intermediate yoga poses.
While it can help in toning your arms and shoulders like the Downward Dog, the Dolphin pose is more focused on enhancing your core muscles.
- To start with, get down on all fours, but with your entire forearms rested on the floor like in the Forearm Plank.
- Align your elbows exactly below your shoulders, and your knees exactly below your hips.
- Position your knees and feet hip-width apart.
- Slowly lift your knees off the floor and push your buttocks out (backward and upward.)
- Keep pushing till you can fully straighten and stretch your legs. Lift your feet off the floor and support the pose with your toes.
- Stretch your chest and tuck in your torso to the point your head touches the floor between your elbows.
- Try looking towards your feet to complete the pose.
- Hold the pose for 15 seconds or 5–7 breaths, with gradual increments as you become more and more flexible.
Tips to Maximize Body Toning Through Yoga
Now that we know how yoga can tone muscles, did you also know there are best practices you can follow to maximize yoga’s effect in toning your body?
Here are four key tips you can follow to make that happen.
Proper Form and Breath Control
Effective breathwork and form are the core of yoga. They’re what gives yoga the transformative effect.
To maximize yoga’s toning potential, make sure you’re practicing proper breathwork and maintaining proper form during your poses.
This is not only needed to maximize the effect of yoga, but you will have to get it right anyway in the first place to achieve any sort of progress.
Increase Intensity and Hold Times
To fine-tune your toning experience with yoga, consider gradually increasing the intensity of your poses and hold times. Because your muscles get used to the stress as you keep doing yoga.
Over time, these muscles would require less effort than what they needed in the beginning. So, sticking to the same intensity means you’re capping the potential of your own body.
Gradually increase this intensity and hold times to keep the muscles active and engaged, allowing them to absorb the effects of yoga even after months or years of practice.
Challenge Different Muscle Groups
Each yoga pose targets a certain group of muscles:
- Plank poses are great core workouts.
- Staff poses can activate your arm muscles.
- Chair poses can improve your legs.
- And so on.
When you’re aiming to tone your body with yoga, it’s important to know what poses activate what muscles. This helps you do yoga in a more targeted approach that caters to your specific goals.
Mix up your routine to challenge different muscle groups. Otherwise it wouldn’t make sense doing a chair pose to tone your arms, for instance.
Pair Yoga With Mindful Nutrition
No matter how intense you get with yoga, you’re only as good as the food you consume every day. It’s the foundation that sets you up for yoga, or pretty much anything in life for that matter.
And not following a proper diet is one major mistake we see in beginner yogis in our yoga teacher training programs.
That’s why it’s essential to be aware of the food you intake. Know your sources of protein and carbs, and craft a diet that caters to your weight goals. Pair yoga with mindful nutrition, and your body will thank you!
Common Myths About Yoga and Body Toning
When it comes to yoga and its relation to toning muscles, there are a few major misconceptions that you might easily come across. Let’s take a closer look at them and bust the myths.
Myth 1: Yoga Is Only for Flexibility
This is one of the most common misconceptions of the majority of people who are unaware of what yoga can become in its full potential.
So, no, yoga is not only for flexibility. It is a lot more when you dive into its vastness.
Yoga works best for your balance, flexibility, and mind-body connection. It works so well as if it feels like yoga is specifically designed to improve on these aspects of a human being.
But as yoga works to enhance these features, it also positively impacts the muscles. Although not as much as your traditional gym workouts, but about 20–30% of that.
Myth 2: You Need to Be Fit to Start Yoga
Can only fit people start yoga? Not really because yoga is not a game of survival of the fittest.
Yoga is a beautiful artwork of healing, finding purpose, and achieving clarity on life through breathwork-integrated motion. So you do not need to be fit, as yoga is classified into beginner, intermediate, and advanced poses that anyone can do.
Anyone who is not fit can start with the beginner yoga poses, since these are more geared towards breathwork and concentration than heavy movement.
Myth 3: Yoga Can’t Replace Strength Training
Yoga cannot fully replace strength training. That means it could do the partial job of strength training.
If you have goals of maximal strength, it is true that yoga, on its own, may not help you achieve that. But for someone who just wants to stay fit (not as in bulking up, but being healthy overall), yoga is the perfect choice of workout.
Conclusion
That’s everything about yoga and how it can tone your body. The simple answer is, yes, yoga can tone your body; just not as fine-tuned as dedicated toning workouts in the gym.
Yoga is more of a holistic practice than a mere toning exercise. It effortlessly combines and benefits a yogi’s physical, mental, and spiritual state.
For those looking to get that perfectly toned structure, it’s better to combine yoga with dedicated toning workouts. That’s a comprehensive approach that fully impacts your physical and mental health.
That said, if you’re attempting to become a certified yoga teacher, you can become one with our most comprehensive Yoga Teacher Training Course.
It’s an in-depth training program where you can explore the depth of yoga and learn by practice, with us and other fellow practitioners in person. It’s worth exploring if you’re interested in learning more about toning your body with yoga and then passing on that knowledge to more yogis like yourself.
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