Slim Calm Sexy Yoga: 210 Proven Yoga Moves for Mind/Body Bliss

to feel good and perform your best in any aspect of your life. Whether you’re an athlete or a gym rat, or you just want to get the groceries home without throwing your back out, a consistent yoga practice can help. Here’s what yoga does to make you fit:
     Hones your balance…so your body can move with grace and efficiency.
     Improves your flexibility…making you less susceptible to injury.
     Increases your muscle stamina…so you can feel better all day long or train for that 5K you’ve been eyeing.
     Builds your strength…giving you enviable muscle tone, And all these qualities will make you better at any physical endeavor while preventing injury and speeding recovery.
    Here are some of the proven ways practicing yoga improves fitness, In a study published in the
Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research,
healthy young adults were divided into two groups, One followed an 8-week yoga program; the other did not, At the end of thestudy period, only the yoga group gained leg strength, muscle control, and balance.
    In a 2010 study at the City University of New York, researchers looked at the effect of yoga on functional fitness, (That’s a buzzy term for workouts that train your body for everyday activities,) The studysubjects were a group of 108 firefighters who took part in yoga classes at their station houses, Before and after the 6-week study period, they were tested on stability, mobility, and flexibility (things that measure functional fitness), What did the researchers find? Scores shot up significantly after the yoga, and more than half of the firefighters said their job performance improved.
    Let’s hope battling flames is more strenuous than anything you ever have to do, But if warrior poses and breathing exercises helped these guys perform better on the job, they’re sure to help you—whether you sprint for a morning train, lug a toddler around all day, or stand on your feet for an entire night shift.
    Those are pretty fantastic fitness benefits, if you ask me, But if you’re looking to improve your 5K time, don’t rely solely on your yoga practice, A few years ago, the American Council on Exercise gathered a group of healthy women who hadn’t exercised or done yoga for 6 months, They were split into two groups: One group did nothing; the other did mellow hatha yoga for 55 minutes three times a week for 8 weeks, The yoga boosted strength, flexibility, endurance, and balance, though it didn’t raise maximum heart rate or VO 2 max (the amount of oxygen a body converts into energy during each minute of maxed-out exercise— the higher the number, the fitter your lungs), There’s no getting around it: Mellow styles of yoga generally aren’t intense enough to push your heart rate superhigh, You’re more likely to do that with more vigorous activities, like running or biking, But you’ll perform any intense exercise more efficiently if you also practice yoga, In one study, athletes who regularly practiced pranayama, the kind of controlled breathing you do in yoga, were able to work harder and use less oxygen compared with athletes in a control group.
    By focusing on four pillars of fitness—balance, flexibility, stamina, and strength—the following routines will give you more energy, improve your overall fitness, and leave you with a sleek, sculpted body.

Balance

    Working on balance poses helps with focus, speed, control, and injury prevention whether you are a professional athlete, a weekend warrior, or simply someone who feels like she’s walking a tightrope all day. Developing balance trains your whole body to work effectively as a unit. This helps to develop your muscles evenly and prevents injuries by putting all your parts in tune with each other. It also eases your mind. When you feel balanced in your body, you have a better chance of feeling balanced in your mind. One is a reflection of the other. Practice this routine twice a week for the best results.
    the
ROUTINE
Try the following sequence, staying in each pose for 5 deep inhales and exhales.
      Standing
      Standing Shin Hug
      Tree
      Warrior 3
      Standing Split
    Repeat the entire sequence on the other side
    STAY IN THE GAME
    Many trainers and coaches include yoga in their training plans. Why? Because it’s effective at preventing and relieving chronic injuries and reducing postworkout soreness. A study in the
Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research
investigated whether women who practiced yoga had milder