Top 15 Yoga poses For Flexibility and Strength

Most people exercise with the prime goals of staying fit and healthy but many of them don’t realize that flexibility is also as important as the others since it avoids injuries and also helps you maintain your health.

The best way in which you can increase your flexibility is by performing yoga on a regular basis. While most people believe that yoga is only to be practiced by fit and already flexible people but it is important to note that yoga is actually taken up to increase your flexibility day by day.

Discussed below are some of the most important yoga poses that one must include in their daily yoga routine to help increase their flexibility.

Remember that every person has a different strength and level of flexibility so do not compare yourself with others but try to improve yourself every day by setting small goals.

Note that every pose you do might not be perfect but make sure that you feel stretch.

15 Best Yoga poses that enhance flexibility and Strengthen your body:

Given below are the yoga poses to impart high strength and flexibility:

1. Spinal Twist (Ardha Matsyendrasana)

If you are planning to target your lateral flexibility, make sure you perform a spinal twist that basically stretches your neck, shoulders, and spine. Make sure you do not push yourself too hard and perform according to your capacity. This pose is quite healthy and safe for your spine.

Steps:

1. Sit up straight with your legs stretched.
2. Your right leg needs to be placed in the area exterior to the left thigh.
3. Make sure that your right hand is behind you and in line with your sacrum.
4. While you inhale, touch your right knee to your chest with the help of your left hand and stretch your spine upwards.
5. While you exhale, try to twist your body slightly to the right side.
6. Go slow on yourself and make sure to breathe deeply for about 30 to 60 seconds on either side.

This yoga pose not only helps maintain spine mobility but also aids in the digestion process. Performing this yoga pose every day will definitely help you energize your mind and body.

2. Pyramid Pose

If you want to focus more on stretching your hamstrings and lower back, this pose will definitely beneficial. Pyramid pose helps you strengthen your feet, quadriceps as well as your shin muscles.

Steps:

1. Firstly, take a crescent pose from which you need to straighten your front leg firmly and place your back forward slightly in Feb forward position so that your feet are at least 3 feet apart.
2. Your back heel needs to be turned down to the floor thus creating a shape resembling a pyramid with the help of your legs.
3. Your hips need to be slightly towards the front of the mat with your back foot at about roughly 45 degrees.
4. While you inhale, place your hands on your hips and raise your upper body and while you exhale, start folding a bit towards the forward side.

 

3. Downward Facing Dog Pose (Adho mukha svanasana)

This yoga pose basically helps to strengthen your shoulders and arms and also helps in stretching of your calves and hamstrings. This pose is slightly tough for the beginners; therefore, it is recommended for them to slightly bend their knees during the initial days. Try building up a strength wherein you can remain in this pose for about 2 minutes.

Steps:

1. In this pose, you are basically making an upside-down V – shape.
2. Place your hands in such a way that it must look like a triangle from the side.
3. Make sure to spread your fingers and keep your head lowered in between your biceps.
4. Try extending your tail bone and keep breathing in between.

 

4. Standing forward fold (Uttanasana)

This pose basically helps you stretch your hamstrings as well as your lower body. Make sure that you rise up slowly since coming back quickly could make you feel a bit dizzy. This pose is recommended to be performed from 30 seconds to 3 minutes.

Steps:

1. Stand in such a way that your feet are shoulder-width apart and for a solid foundation, make sure to bend your knees slightly.
2. Slowly bend your upper body forward so that it hangs fully and drop your arms smoothly downwards.

 

5. Crescent Pose (Anjaneyasana)

This pose is considered to be one of the best poses since it not only helps you stretch your body but at the same time strengthens the body. Also called as the high lunge, this yoga pose helps in maintaining body balance and increases your ability to focus.

Steps:

1. Firstly, take the downward dog pose, and place your right foot up in between your hands.
2. Make sure that your fingertips are touching the mat.
3. This will give you the pose of a runner’s lunge.
4. Lift your back heel slightly and maintain a distance between your feet to remain stable.
5. While you inhale, place your arms on your hips and raise your hands slowly straight up, and hold it for about 30 to 60 seconds.

 

6. Child’s Pose

This yoga pose is quite helpful and helps stretch your shoulders, ankles, the top part of your feet, quads lower back and shin. Build your strength so much so that you are able to hold this pose for about 2 minutes to open up your hips and thighs.

Steps:

1. Firstly, place your toes together and keep a slight gap between your knees that is wider than your rib cage.
2. Make sure that your torso rests on your thighs comfortably and move your butt on to your heels.
3. Stretch your arms forward placing them on the ground.

 

7. Butterfly Pose (Baddha Konasana)

One of the most efficient yoga poses that help you stretch your groin, thighs, and abductors is the butterfly pose. It basically works on the tightest places of your body which requires pepper stretching.

Steps:

1. Sit down with a proper posture and bend your knees slightly by bringing your soles together.
2. Depending upon your flexibility level, your knees will either be slightly at a higher position or will splay out to the sides.
3. Perform this pose daily by slightly applying pressure on your knees to increase your flexibility.

 

8. Half Moon Pose (Ardha Chandrasana)

If you want to work on stretching on your hips, chest, ribs, and hamstrings, do try out this yoga pose daily. This pose involves a bit of balancing, so if you are a beginner you could slightly modify the pose as per your capacity.

Steps:

1. Firstly, place your right foot slightly on the inner sides of your right hand.
2. Take your right hand forward by about 5 to 10 inches depending upon your size and bring your left hand towards the left hip.
3. Now as you lift your right foot make sure to straighten your right leg. Keep flexing your left foot until it is parallel to the floor.

 

9. Eye of the Needle pose (Sucirandhrasana)

The best way to stretch your hip flexors is to perform the eye of the Needle pose. This pose helps you increase your flexibility deeply and if you plan on pushing yourself further, you could also try and substitute pigeon.

Steps:

1. Bend your knees and lie on your back with both the soles of your feet touching on to the floor.
2. Your right ankle should be placed on top of your left thigh leading to your right knee opening on to the right side.
3. Either stay here or else bring your Left thigh near your chest.
4. Move your right hand through the gap present between your legs and clasp it with another hand around the back of your left thigh.
5. Maintain the posture and breathe for 5-10 times and later switch the legs.

 

10. Reclined Hand to Big toe Pose (Supta Padangusthasana)

This type of yoga pose can be performed in various ways but the most common type is the one which makes use of yoga straps in the insteps of your raised leg. You could also use any belt or simply hold the back of your leg invade you don’t have one. This pose is crucial for stretching your hips, groin, Calves, and hamstrings.

Steps:

1. Start by first lying down on the floor and bending your knees with soles of both the feet placed on the floor.
2. Move your right knee towards your chest and either use a yoga strap or a toe grip to hold on to the instep.
3. Stretch your right leg up facing towards the ceiling.

 

11. Cobblers Pose

Cobblers pose is one of the great yoga poses that helps in opening up your hips. This is one of those best poses that you need to stay in for quite a few minutes with a proper posture.

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Steps:

1. Make sure to use a folded blanket so that it will help raise your hips above your knees.
2. Bend your knees and place your two soles together touching each other and by holding them try and push the knees slightly downwards, every time you perform this pose.

 

12. Eagle Pose

This pose aims at working out both your hip region as well as shoulders, thereby increasing their flexibility. With this posture, the arms let your back stretch out while the legs help your hips workout.

Steps:

1. For this pose, initially you need to bend your knees slightly and move your left foot upwards.
2. The whole posture requires balancing on your right foot with your left crossed over the right one.
3. Next you need to stretch out your arms parallel to the floor and Ghent cross them in front of your torso.
4. The arms need to be in the appropriate position with the right one being slightly above the left one and with elbows slightly bent.
5. Press your hands towards the respective directions so that the palms face each other and hold for 15 to 30 seconds.

 

13. Bridge Pose

This pose helps calm your brain and relieve stress. This pose also causes various other benefits like reducing insomnia, anxiety, headache and improves digestion. Apart from this, it is also known to help recover from blood pressure, asthma issues, osteoporosis and problems related to sinusitis.

Steps:

1. Firstly, place a blanket on the floor and lie supine on it.
2. Place your feet on the floor and slightly bend your knees.
3. The next step is to lift your buttocks above the floor until your thighs are parallel to the floor with your knees positioned exactly above your heels.
4. Hold your shoulders firm against your back and hold this position for quite an amount of time.

 

14. Seated Wide Legged Straddle (Upavistha Konasana)

This type of pose is basically performed for stretching the back part and the insides of your legs. The major benefits of this pose are that it strengthens the spine and calms your brain.

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Steps:

1. Sit with your legs opened to about 90 degrees.
2. Put your upper body is slightly in the front and try to open up your legs by more 10 to 20 degrees.
3. The next step is to rotate your thighs in such a way that your knee caps point towards the ceiling.
4. Now bend yourself a bit forward keeping your thighs pressed towards the floor.

 

15. Triangle Pose

Triangle pose is another great yoga position that helps you build your core strength and also opens up your hips. Apart from that, it also helps stretch your shoulders as well as legs thereby increasing your body flexibility.

Steps:

1. Take a standing position with your legs spaced 3 feet apart.
2. Make sure to place your left toes slightly inwards while the right toes facing the right side.
3. While you inhale, press your left hip to the left side and stretch your arms parallel to the floor.
4. When you exhale, you need to rotate your left arm upwards and move your right arm downwards to your right leg.
5. Breathe and hold for some time.

Some Final Words

These are some of the most beneficial yoga poses that you could try out at home to increase your flexibility. These yoga postures not only help you maintain your health but helps build your core strength. So, if you plan to work out your body make sure to try out these poses.