Buttocks and legs | She Knows LowCarb Energy
Battling cellulite with yoga: six poses to target your buttocks and legs She Knows LowCarb Energy, Spring, 2006 by Nicole Palacios
The foods you eat and the exercise you do (or don’t do, as the case may be) play an integral part in the formation of cellulite. In a study done in Massachusetts by Wayne Westcott, PhD, he proved that diet and exercise can reduce cellulite through the overall reduction of fat and increased muscle mass. Yoga is a form of exercise that burns both calories and fat, especially when it is done in the heat. With temperatures up to 105 degrees Fahrenheit, Bikram’s is a form of yoga founded by Bikram Choudhury in 1974. According to Bikram’s philosophy, the higher temperatures increase the heart rate to improve cardiovascular training, and “Improve strength by putting muscle tissue in optimal state for reorganization, and reorganize lipids in the muscular structure.” According to Divi Chandry, a Bikram’s studio owner in Victoria, Canada, “People, when practicing three times a week, after 12 weeks, have significant toning happening and they notice it in the way their clothes fit them.”
Poses done in the heat provide such benefits as: normalized appetite and weight, better circulation, reorganization of fats and proteins, and increased strength. Chandry practiced a modified form of Bikram’s throughout her pregnancy and began hard core again after her baby was only 10 days old. Now that her baby is four months old, she has only five pounds of baby weight to lose.
The following poses use muscles in the thighs, buttocks, and hips to give you an overall lower body workout. Hold each pose for 30-60 seconds except floor bow which is 20-30 seconds.
Cellulite is a condition that affects more than 80% of women worldwide. Nobody wants it, but most of us have it. Basically, cellulite is just fat which has become trapped under the skin and connective tissue. The expansion of the connective tissue over increasing fat cells–with poor circulation contributing to the problem–is what causes the bumpy and “orange peeled” appearance of the skin around the hips and thighs.
1 Standing Bow (Dandayamana Dhanurasana)
From Mountain pose, pick up one foot with your hand, palm facing out and reach forward with the other hand. Kick back with your foot and bend your knee. Slowly lower your upper body maintaining the outstretched arm. Your foot is line with your head, and your knee is line with your hip.
2 Half moon pose (Ardha Chandrasana)
Starting in the extended triangle position, soften your right leg and place your left hand on the hip. Bend your right knee, and slide your left foot forward. Simultaneously, reach your right hand forward about a foot in front of the right foot. Begin to straighten your right leg while lifting your left leg parallel to the floor. Stack your hips, left on top of the right. Bear weight on your right leg and lift your ankle of the standing foot upward, flexing your foot. Reach your left arm toward the ceiling and open your chest. Your arms should form a straight line.
3 Awkward pose (Utkatasana)
From Mountain pose, bend your knees until your thighs are almost parallel to the floor. Keeping your buttocks low, bring your arms toward the ceiling and slightly bend into the upper back.
4 Fixed Firm (Supta-Vajrasana)
Separate your feet and sit in between your heels, having your hips touching your heels at all times. Then, with your hands on your feet (thumbs inside, fingers outside), recline onto your elbows, then the top of your head, and then down onto each shoulder followed by the upper body. Grab your opposite elbows over top of your head.
5 Floor Bow (Dhanurasana)
Lie on your belly with your hands beside you, palms up. Bend your knees and bring your heels toward your buttocks. Reach back with your hands and take hold of your ankles. Knees should be hip width. Inhale and lift your heels away from your buttocks while simultaneously lifting your thighs from the floor. Push your tailbone down toward the floor, and relax your back. The weight of your body is on your abdomen. As you continue lifting your heels and thighs higher, squeeze your shoulder blades together. Make space between your shoulders and ears and look forward.
6 Locust Pose (Salabhasana)
Lie facedown with your head turned to the floor. Your arms should be alongside you with palms up. Rotate your hips inward and tighten your butt while keeping your legs together. As you exhale, lift your head, chest, arms, and legs from the floor. Raise your arms parallel to the floor as you squeeze your shoulder blades together.
Try these products on for size while posing at home:
1/8″ Classic Yoga Mats, $14.99
3″ Foam Yoga Blocks, $7.99
6 Foot Cinch Buckle Yoga Strap, $4.99
Deluxe Yoga Kit, $56.99
FOUND ONLINE AT: www.yogaaccessories.com
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