PIX: 5 yoga poses for sexy and toned arms

Shameem Akthar, yoga acharya trained with the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Center, shows you five simple yoga poses that can get you toned muscles.

Many people wrongly believe that only machine-based exercise can create toned arms. Actually, the muscle fibre created with that sort of workout can be hard to feel, plus prone to injury because it develops fast-twitch muscle. Holding poses in yoga creates the slow-twitch muscle that is more supple in form and texture.
 
Though specific arm-tone ups do exist in yoga, focusing on the practices that prepare you for them, as well as warm-ups like the sun salutation (surya namaskar) would be a more complete way towards getting super-toned arms. In the sun salute focusing on the backbends really challenges and works out entire arms, including the upper body. This involves poses like the crescent (ardha chandrasana), parvatasana (mountain pose), cobra (bhujangasana), the setuasana (plank pose) to name just a few.
 
In machine based exercise after some time the muscles get used to movement and the strain. Plus only the large muscles get really worked. In yogic arm tone-ups subtle muscle fibers called fascia are also worked out, making the entire effect more aesthetic, healthy and definitely more complete. Interestingly arm balancers call for a lot of mental focus, so that side by side your mind is also "toned".
 
Arm balancers are really challenging practices and require a long learning curve, and great strength that is acquired through regular and daily practice. They also challenge the breath intimately, shifting the location of activity all over the upper back, neck and arms. This works out the back too, creating a more evenly textured, aesthetic arm shape. Shameem Akthar, yogacharya trained with the international Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Center, shows you five poses that will help you get great arms.
 
For more of Shameem's yoga writings visit http://jaisivananda.blogspot.com. Shameem's second book Yoga in the workplace, with photographs by ace photographer Fawzan Husain, is now available at online shops and bookshops across the country. It is also available as e-book, with Kindle, Amazon.

Disclaimer: This column just shares the columnist's passion for yoga which is ideally learned under the guidance of an expert.

Kneel down, place elbows on ground, cup either with opposite hands as shown. Place the back of feet into the floor or place the toes into the floor. Inhale. Exhaling, tilt torso ahead, leaning face over the folded arms. Continue normal breathing. Hold the pose for ten seconds. Repeat thrice. After a few days/weeks of practice you may increase duration in the final pose for greater impact.
 
Benefits: Tones upper back, shoulders, entire arms. Improves breathing, pushes abdomen in, toning  the digestive system. Is de-stressing.

Do as above, for the basic lizard pose. But instead of kneeling, lift knees off the ground. Rest of the features, as above.
 
Benefits: Same as above, more enhanced.

Place palms flat on floor/mat, aligning it so they under the shoulders. Walk feet back to stretch out legs behind, lift knees off the ground, as shown. Feet may a foot apart. Breath normally throughout. Learn to hold this pose for a few days/weeks.

Then lift one hand, bending it at elbow, placing it behind on the back as shown. Continue normal breathing. Ensure body is not tilting to the side of the supporting hand. Rest your hand back on ground. Repeat for other hand.
Increase duration in this pose with regular practice.
 
Benefits: Tones the arms. Improves balance. Aligns the spine. Tones the legs too. Improves mental focus.

Also called the downward-dog pose (Adhomukha svanasana), for this version, start by kneeling on your fours. Keep feet a foot apart. Inhale. Exhaling lift hips up, knees off ground. Push from the shoulders, and from the heels to deepen the pose. Hold for ten seconds, breathing normally. Inhale, exhaling kneel back. Rest to repeat thrice.
 
Benefits: Is powerful arm and leg toner. Harmonises blood pressure. Rectifies postural defects, controls and heals all problems of the spine. The gush of blood to head helps heals in several ailments.

Do the mountain pose, as above. Remove one hand, to hold it up, as shown. Then rest it back, do with the other. Initially hold only for a short while. Increase duration with regular practice.
 
Benefits: Same as above, more enhanced.