5 Yoga Poses That Will Boost Your Stamina

Staying fit is crucial for a healthy lifestyle, but if you’re looking to get in shape and improve your fitness quotient, yoga may be the answer. For many people who are new to yoga, the idea of spending 30 minutes or more doing asanas may seem boring, but the truth is yoga is a great way to build stamina and stay fit. The following five asanas will help you increase your stamina considerably:

• Cat pose

Other than increasing your stamina this asana also helps in warming up of the body muscles, joints and ligaments. Lie on the floor and stretch out your legs in front of you. Now raise your head, neck, arms and shoulders up off the ground while keeping your hands under your butt. Hold this pose for a few seconds and then release it.

• Runners lunge

This pose helps in stretching the hips, thighs and ankles. Put one leg forward and bend it at the knee so that both knees are touching each other. Keep the other foot behind you on the floor with toes curled towards you. Lift your arms above your head with palms facing downwards. Hold this position for about 15 to 20 seconds and then relax.

• Bow pose:

This asana works on strengthening the abdominal muscles, spine and shoulders. Bend forward from the waist with hands resting on your knees and spine straightened up like an archer’s bow pulled tautly with an arrow nocked. The position resembles that of a frog when he is about to leap off a lily pad into a pond of water.

• Plank Pose or Anantasana:

The plank pose strengthens the core muscles, which help regulate the body’s balance, making it great for sports enthusiasts too! Hold the pose for 30 seconds initially and then gradually increase the time by 5 seconds each week.