Fat Burning Yoga Workout
Lose belly fat with these fat burning yoga exercises:
You contort into all kinds of wacky positions wriggling into those skinny jeans. Bend and twist on a regular basis and that might not be necessary. An active sequence of yoga flows — a form called vinyasa — burns more than 450 calories an hour, according to Sara Ivanhoe, host of
20 Minute Yoga Makeover: Weight Loss.
These two flows provide a total-body workout.
Repeat each one 5 to 10 times
Backbend:
Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Lace your fingers behind you (palms facing up). Inhaling, bend from your upper back, lift your chest, and press your shoulders down.
Forward Bend:
Soften your knees and bend forward as you exhale, letting your torso hang in front of your thighs. Keeping your arms straight and fingers locked together, lift them up and over your head (ultimately reaching toward the floor in front of your feet).
Chair:
Inhale and bend your knees into a squat. Unlock and straighten your fingers, then separate your arms. When your thighs are nearly parallel to the floor, move your arms toward your ears. Keep your weight on your heels. Inhale, stand up, and lower your arms to your sides. Exhale.
Cobra:
Uncurl your toes so the tops of your feet are touching the ground and press your tailbone down. Hug your elbows in as you inhale, straighten your arms (keep a slight bend), and lift your chest off the ground. Exhale as you gently release your body back to the ground. Inhale, curl your toes under, and press your hips up and back into downward-facing dog. Exhale.
Get a Tight Butt And Legs
Our plyometrics-inspired lower-body routine will tone trouble spots ASAP.
Clock Lunge:
Works glutes, hamstrings, quads, and inner and outer thighs
With your hands on your hips, lunge forward with your right foot, sinking down until your right knee is bent 90 degrees
[A]. Return to standing. Take a big step to the right and lunge again
[B]. Step back to center. Lunge back with your right leg
[C]. That's 1 rep. Do 10, then repeat with your left leg.
Keep your neck in line with your spine throughout the move.
Step-Ups with Knee Raise
Works abs, hip flexors, glutes, hamstrings, and quads
Place a 12- to 24-inch-high step in front of you. Step up with your left foot [A], bringing your right leg forward and up and bending your knee until your thigh is parallel to the floor [B]. Lower your right leg back to start, then the left. Repeat with the other leg. That's 1 rep; do 10.
For a tougher challenge, hold 5- to 10-pound dumbbells.
Inchworm Stretch
For lower back and hamstrings Standing with your feet hip-distance apart, slowly bend at the waist, keeping your legs as straight as possible, until your hands touch the floor about 8 to 12 inches from your feet
[A]. Walk your hands out to pushup position
[B], then walk your feet in toward your hands. Work up to 2 sets of 8 reps.
Your body should form a straight line from your heels to your head.
Squat Jumps
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Works glutes, hamstrings, quads, and calvesStand with your feet shoulder-width apart, arms hanging at your sides. Squat down until your knees are bent about 90 degrees
[A]. Immediately swing your arms overhead and jump upward as high as you can
[B]. As you land, gently bend your knees and sink back down into the squat position. That's 1 rep. Do 10.
Swinging your arms will give you momentum so you can catch more air.
Wood Chopper
Works shoulders, abs, glutes, hamstrings, and quads Grab an 8- to 10-pound dumbbell with both hands and stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Let the dumbbell hang naturally in front of your thighs. Squat down until your knees are bent about 90 degrees
[A]. Keeping your elbows slightly bent, brace your abs and press up to standing, swinging the dumbbell up until it's directly overhead
[B]. Lower the dumbbell back toward the floor. That's 1 rep; do 10.
Keep your movement controlled to work the most muscle.
Power Skips
Works hip flexors, glutes, quads, and calvesLeading with your right leg, skip as high as you possibly can by raising your right knee to hip height and simultaneously extending your left arm straight overhead
[A]. Your left leg should remain straight and your right elbow should be slightly bent at your side. Land on the ball of your left foot. Repeat the skipping motion with your opposite arm and leg
[B]. That's 1 rep; do 10.
Try to jump a little higher with each skip.
Figure 4 Stretch
For hip flexors and glutesStarting out on all fours, cross your left leg under your body, so that you are almost resting on your left hip. Extend your right leg directly behind you
[A]. Lower your upper body over your left leg, placing your forearms on the ground in front of you
[B]. Hold for 30 seconds, then switch sides.
Take deep breaths to help yourself sink deeper into the stretch.