There are a hundred reasons why people might take up yoga as a hobby or exercise. No doubt you’ll have heard plenty about the benefits, from the boost to your strength and flexibility that it offers to the meditative state that you can reach through the proper practice of the various asanas that you’ll learn along the way.
For other people, the biggest draw to yoga is the promise of a toned body and the promise of great exercise for slimming or cutting your figure.
But how much of this is the case? How long can you expect to do proactive yoga before you start seeing results? Or, is this idea yoga-hyping nonsense?
Well, the answer to that last question is definitely ‘no’. Yoga is a phenomenal tool for toning your body. You just have to have a good plan in mind and the right approach to it.
In this guide, we’ll not only explain to you some great toning yoga exercises, or even if yoga is great for toning, but a rough schedule that you can use to plan your yoga workouts.
With the right work put into it, and a solid foundational understanding of yoga to boot, you’ll be surprised just how quickly yoga can start showing results when it comes to toning!
Can Yoga Tone Your Body?
Before we get into the timetable for an effective yoga routine, it’s probably worth answering the main question that people have when it comes to yoga. Is it a good form of exercise to tone your body?
Well, the answer to that question is yes. Well, kind of.
Certainly, many of the stretchings are core-practicing movements of a good yoga sequence that are primed for helping you cut a nice figure.
The improved flexibility that yoga also helps you build also encourages people to try out more radical exercises too, further helping you achieve that toned look that you’ve been looking for.
It’s important to note that yoga isn’t just an exercise, but a way of thinking too. It’s as much about understanding your own body’s limits and finding ways to immerse yourself further into a trance-like state as you practice, as it is.
So, while muscle toning is a very nice benefit of it, you’ll find that it’s also hand-in-hand with improving wellness and practicing the necessary breathing techniques. This means that sometimes, toning your body will take a back seat to breathing exercises and other mindfulness practices.
It’s worth pointing out that if you’re looking to build muscles in your exercise routine, yoga is not the exercise or practice for you. This is a routine that is made for.
Yoga Toning TimeTable
So, it’s clear that yoga is a great way to help cut your figure and get better toning across your body. But how long can you expect this process to take?
Well, that’s where things get a little tricky. Because while yoga can tone your body in ways that you’ll be surprised by, it’s also an incredibly intense process to boot.
You’ll not just need to practice the many poses regularly, but you’ll also need to eat an appropriate diet that will aid your body in recovering from intense yoga workouts, as well as avoiding particularly fatty or unhealthy foods too.
This is a discussion that you’ll need to have your yoga instructor/guru, however. It has to be manageable and effective, after all!
Plus, all the other aspects of your body can affect how quickly you can expect results. Things such as your overall body type, and your previous experience with yoga. Your experience in gyms/other sports and exercises can also have a big impact on how long it will take for results to be seen.
Generally speaking, people with little to no gym or previous yoga experience will see the biggest results first, as they burn through the layers of fat that hide their muscles underneath quicker.
How Long?
Generally speaking, you should start to see results for toning your body through yoga between 4 and 8 weeks, or roughly 1 or 2 months. And, of course, this will depend on the types of yoga stances/asanas that you are practicing.
Poses like the four-limbed staff and the downward-facing dog poses are going to work much more of your core muscles than, say, the mountain or butterfly poses, for example (though we still recommend practicing those last two alongside your more intense poses).
Yoga Poses For Toning Muscles
And speaking of yoga poses that are great for toning, the following stances are considered some of the best for toning your muscles. So, if you are taking up yoga as your main exercise, these are some stances that you’ll want to include in your next sequence or routine.
Four-Limbed Staff Pose
We’ve already mentioned this pose, so we’ll try and keep this one brief. This pose is perfect for working and toning your triceps, biceps, and shoulders, effectively every major muscle group in your upper body. Just make sure that you can hold this low pose for as long as you can!
Downward Dog
Another pose we’ve already mentioned, the downward-facing dog pose, is great for working your back, and for toning your arms too. Remember to try and flex the affected muscle areas to get that maximum toning effect!
Boat Pose
Moving on to a pose that we haven’t covered yet, the boat pose is perfect for toning your core, as well as working on your overall balance.
If you’re looking to make the boat pose extra effective, make sure to switch between a high and low boat pose. This will keep your glutes and core muscles moving in different ways, continuously engaging and working them.
High Lunge Pose
The perfect pose for toning your legs, glutes, and core, this is a pose that everyone should include in their yoga routine!
This is a tougher pose to hold, however. You may need to start with more beginner-friendly poses.
Final Notes
So, as you can see, yoga can produce pretty noticeable results for toning your body, and in a remarkably short timespan as well!
While probably not the best exercise for building bulky muscles, you’ll find that your physique is likely to slim down incredibly if you practice yoga regularly!
Frequently Asked Questions
If you’ve practice yoga long enough at this point, you’ll likely know that there are many other benefits that you can get from yoga, besides a toned body.
Aside from building great flexibility and core strength as we mentioned before, yoga is also great for helping people with anxiety and restlessness manage their emotions. In many cases, it’s been proven to be as effective as medicated alternatives for controlling these symptoms.
At least, when practiced right!
You’ll often hear how yoga is an exercise that anyone can practice, and this is largely true, even for people with mobility issues.
However, certain groups of people should probably consult a health professional before starting their yoga-toning schedule. These include:
– Pregnant people
– People who suffer from some form of arthritis.
– People whose bodies cannot properly regulate their blood pressure.
– Sufferers of serious balance issues.
I created this website to help newcomers to yoga and enthusiasts alike, and to share our common passions for yoga.
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