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Get killer legs with yoga! Here's how!

Last updated on: April 17, 2014 21:09 IST
Simple yoga poses can get you the legs you always wanted says Shameem Akthar.

There's nothing quite like a pair of super-sexy, toned legs, is there? Shameem Akthar shows you five yoga poses that can help you get the legs you've always dreamed of!

All the hottest legs in the world -- whether they belong to Deepika Padukone or Madonna -- can be tracked back to yoga practice. 

Yoga is by far the best way to tone up the legs without injuring yourself, as you can with other such activity.

The sister practices -- like Pilates -- have borrowed heavily from yoga. So it does not matter what you do -- including martial arts like Muay Thai.

Ultimately, it all comes back to the basics of yoga. This explains why yoga is the favourite activity of the world’s most beautiful people.

For yoga to work, you must practice daily. At first, attempt the poses for a short duration. But the time for each pose, if held static, must be regularly increased.

If doing the pose dynamically, the number of repeats in a pose must also rise dramatically. To tone up the legs, the muscles in the legs must be pushed to the point of fatigue. Lackadaisical practice will not serve here.

All poses are also very safe for the knees. This cannot be said of most other activities.

So, the trick is to work the pose in both methods -- statically and dynamically -- so different textures of muscle fibres are developed. This will help firm the skin.

At least 20 minutes of the entire yoga practice must be dedicated to just leg raises, as listed below.

You also need to keep adding new variations after six weeks, to ensure the muscles do not get “bored”, in which case they will hit a plateau and refuse to tone up!

Propping up this work-out with a sensible diet is essential.

Good fats help the skin remain firm, especially important when body fat is being discarded. Otherwise, you can develop ugly stretch marks and the skin may sag.

It is equally important to include a rich dose of antioxidants. This helps repair the skin that is being affected by the weight loss.

Proteins are as important to complete this repair work.

Shameem Akthar, yogacharya trained with the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre offers five basic leg raises from yoga, to sculpt your legs.

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Get killer legs with yoga! Here's how!

Last updated on: April 17, 2014 21:09 IST
Supta hasta padasana (inset) for sexy, toned legs like Kareena Kapoor

Supta hasta padasana (Lying leg pose)

Avoid: Raising the head up if you have a neck problem. You can do the pose with the head down.

Supta hasta padasana

Benefits: Superb tone to the legs, especially the back of the leg.

Heals and controls all knee-related problems.

Controls insomnia.

Is used as therapy in many chronic ailments, including heart related problems and spinal disorders.

 

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Get killer legs with yoga! Here's how!

Last updated on: April 17, 2014 21:09 IST
Poorna Naukasan (inset) for sexy, toned legs like Deepika Padukone

Poorna Naukasan (Full boat pose)

Poorna Naukasan

Avoid: If having any problem with the tailbone or the lower back.

Benefits: Tones the legs, especially the softer and difficult to control areas of the thigh, and the upper legs.

Removes depression.

Controls digestive problems, and diabetes.

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Get killer legs with yoga! Here's how!

Last updated on: April 17, 2014 21:09 IST
Ardha Padma Ekapadanaukasana (inset) for sexy, toned legs like Priyanka Chopra

Ardha Padma Ekapadanaukasana (Half lotus, half boat pose)

Ardha Padma Ekapadanaukasana

Avoid: If you have severe lower back problem.

Benefits: Same as Poorna Naukasan

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Get killer legs with yoga! Here's how!

Last updated on: April 17, 2014 21:09 IST
Padachakrasana (inset) for sexy, toned legs like Bipasha Basu

Padachakrasana (Leg rotation, seated version, with both legs)

Avoid: If having severe lower back problems.

Padachakrasana

Benefits: Tones the lower part of the body, from hips on, challenging all the muscle groups.

Improves nervous co-ordination of the legs, which may initially shake a lot in the first few attempts.

Tones the abdomen and ups your energy levels by building stamina.

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Get killer legs with yoga! Here's how!

Last updated on: April 17, 2014 21:09 IST
Padachakrasana (inset) for sexy, toned legs like Lisa Haydon

Padachakrasana (Leg rotation, seated version with single leg)

Padachakrasana as shown on the previous slide, but do the rotation with one leg only, raising it high, and rotating forwards and backwards equal number of times. Do for both legs.

Padachakrasana

Contraindications: As above.

Benefits: As above, with true challenge to all muscle groups in the legs. Additionally, helps align the left and right brain hemispheres.