Yoga Exercise with Weights

Downward dog and child’s pose are great for working on your balance and concentration, but not so much for building muscle and strength. To do that, your best bet will probably be a resistance band or weights. Below is a list of yoga poses that can be enhanced with the combination of weights.

Bird Dog

1. Start by getting down into a child's pose. Then, bring yourself up onto your hands and knees, and grab a pair of dumbbells. The weight that you choose is up to you, but we recommend starting with a lighter weight until your body gets accustomed to doing this pose with weights.
2. Take one dumbbell in your right hand, keeping it on the mat for now.
3. Lift your left leg up and out, keeping it straight with your foot pointed and your back straight with your right knee still on the mat. 
4. Now, reach your right arm forward until your arm is straight, making a straight line from your left foot, through your leg and back, up to your outstretched hand and dumbbell. 
5. Inhale as you extend your arm, and as you exhale, arch your back and bring your left knee back into yourself, touching your left arm, while pulling your right arm in as well, until your elbow is pointing straight up and the dumbbell is near your hip. 
6. Continue steps 2 through 5 for thirty more seconds, before repeating with the opposite arm and leg.

Sumo Squat

1. Standing with your legs at shoulder width apart, grab two weights and hold them facing you, with your arms bent.
2. Squat down, and when you come back up take your right arm and reach it across your body to your left side, straightening your arm out before bringing it back to your right side. 
3. Squat down again, and this time bring your left arm across your body to the right, straightening your arm out before bringing it back to your left side, never dropping your arms. 
4. Repeat this for another minute

Lunge Pulls

1. Get into a lunge position, stepping your left leg back keeping it straight while you bend your right knee at a 90 degree angle, making sure your upper body is upright and not bending past your knee. 
2. Grab your weights and lift both of your arms into the air at an angle with your outstretched leg. 
3. Bend your knees slightly, and inhale before bringing your arms down and around in a circle, meeting back up at your stomach.
4. Straighten your bent knee every time you bring the weights down, bending it again as you bring your arms back up to their original position in the air.
5. Do this ten times before switching legs and repeating steps 2 through 4.