Poses for Your Legs

We know you love your hip openers. But it's easy to overdo a good thing. Here's how to find that elusive balance of stretching and strengthening.

Your lower back does enough. Here's how to move more efficiently in your practice—and in life.

A classic standing posture, Vrksasana establishes strength and balance, and helps you feel centered, steady and grounded.

Bound Angle Pose, or Baddha Konasana, opens the deepest part of the hip muscles.

Named for a legendary warrior, Virabhadrasana 2 strengthens your quads, shoulders, and core—not to mention your stamina and inner resolve.

It might look straightforward, but there's more to Dandasana than meets the eye.

There's a general consensus among modern yogis that Viparita Karani or Legs-Up-The-Wall Pose may have the power to cure whatever ails you.

Parsvottanasana encourages balance, body awareness, and inspires confidence.

Trade in your gym workouts for these postures, which shape stronger legs, arms, and core.

Adho Mukha Vrksasana boosts energy and confidence, and can literally give you a new perspective on life.

A standing posture centered around balance, Virabhadrasana III will strengthen your legs, ankles, and core.

Standing on your head in Salamba Sirsasana strengthens the whole body and calms the brain.

One of yoga's most widely recognized poses, Adho Mukha Svanasana strengthens the core and improves circulation, while providing a delicious, full-body stretch.

Don't let the name fool you. If you're used to sitting in chairs, Easy Pose (or Sukhasana) can be quite challenging.

Extended Triangle Pose is a quintessential standing pose that stretches and strengthens the whole body.

Setu Bandha Sarvangasana can be whatever you need—energizing, rejuvenating, or luxuriously restorative.

Utkatasana powerfully strengthens the muscles of the arms and legs, but it also stimulates the diaphragm and heart.

Start aiming for par with these poses.

Find length in your side body, from your heel to your fingertips with Extended Side Angle Pose.

Suddenly, your practice just became a lot stronger (literally).

Purvottanasana counteracts the effects of Chaturanga by stretching the pectoralis major, pectoralis minor, and anterior deltoids.

As a counterpose to Utthita Trikonasana and preparation for seated forward bends and twists, this pose is key to a skilled practice.

The foundation of all standing poses, Mountain Pose makes a great a starting position, resting pose, or tool to improve posture.

This revolved variation of Utthita Parsvakonasana requires a lot of flexibility to twist so deeply and ground the back heel.

Want to fly? Fire up your core. Firefly pose is an arm balance pose that requires more core strength than arm strength.

Our calf muscles regularly get overused. It's time to treat them with care.

Hobbling around the house? These stretches will help relieve your discomfort (and feel good, too).

These yoga stretches can relieve iliotibial band syndrome, IT band pain, and hip pain.

These classic stretches help release stress and muscle tightness in your leg muscles, so you can move more effectively.

Do you practice yoga regularly but still feel “stuck” in certain spots? Senior Yoga Medicine teacher Allison Candelaria created this muscle-and fascia-freeing flow to tune up the lateral sides of your body.

Work your glutes (and legs) with these poses from Leah Cullis.

NASA rocket scientist/yoga teacher Scott Lewicki balances a highly technical day job with creativity on the mat. Use this innovative practice to find new space in often forgotten muscles.

Looking to boost your confidence? Try this sequence from yoga teacher Claire Missingham to open your hips and balance your lower energy centers.

Kathryn Budig's Modifications for Safe Alignment in Standing Forward Bend

Kathryn Budig shares her instructions to get into Uttanasana. Plus, reap the benefits and avoid these mistakes.

Sculpt strong, lean legs and focus your intention with Malasana.

The Girls' star is a big fan of yoga and bodyweight exercises to tighten, strengthen, and lengthen her muscles.

Sage Rountree offers advice to ensure the upper and lower leg work together evenly, which can prevent a variety of injuries from ankle sprains to hip problems.

Find steadiness inside and out with this powerful leg-strengthening sequence.

A combination of stretching and strengthening through yoga asana can balance sore and tired lower legs.

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Twister, anyone? The pose that ties you up in knots also loosens up your mind, as you ride the wave of wobble.

Grit your teeth and curse your teacher or give your body the support it needs to get more out of the pose.

Check out Katherine Griffin's author page.

Once you find balance in Half Moon Pose, radiate and extend in all directions to strengthen your legs, hips, and core.

Learning the fundamentals of this key yoga pose sets a strong foundation for the rest of your practice.

One of yoga's most versatile backbends, Bridge Pose can fire you up or cool you down depending on what you need.

Frustrating as it can be, Parsvottanasana is key for increasing hamstring and shoulder flexibility. Learn how to work it.

The perfect microcosm of yoga, Downward-Facing Dog Pose can change your entire practice—maybe even life.

Don't let tight quadriceps keep you from one of yoga's most relaxing poses: Supta Virasana.

"Four-Limbed Staff Pose" says it all. This pose becomes much easier when the rest of your body pitches in. Learn how to get the most out of this challenging pose.

Prasarita Padottanasana is not only the perfect prep for standing poses but for your cool-down, too.

Richard Rosen tells the story of Virabhadra and how you can use Warrior II to improve balance and build strength.

Counteract the effects of Modern-Day Sitting Syndrome by lengthening your hip flexors in High Lunge.

Check out Peggy van Hulsteyn's author page.

Can you practice Wheel with straight arms and Headstand without strain? Then, you're ready.

An excellent facilitator of good pelvic floor health, Garland Pose, called Malasana in Sanskrit, stretches the ankles, groins, and back while stimulating proper digestion. No worries if your heels don't reach the floor—simply rest them on a folded blanket.

In Extended Hand-to-big-toe Pose, maintaining solid grounding through the standing foot helps keep you steady.

This pose gently lengthens and strengthens even stubbornly tight hamstrings.

Ease up into Half Frog Pose, called Ardha Bhekasana in Sanskrit. This pose strengthens the back while gently opening up the shoulders, chest, and thighs—a loving treat for the entire body.

Flexible, strong hamstrings are key to any yoga practice. But they're often stubbornly tight. These five hamstring stretches gently lengthen and strengthen them.

Relax yet remain alert, balancing the restorative and the active in Supta Padangusthasana.

You may know Pincha Mayurasana or Feathered Peacock Pose by one of its common aliases: Forearm or Elbow Balance.

Embrace the stability and expansion of Triangle Pose to ground your body and steady your mind.

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Dance with cosmic energy in this challenging yet graceful balancing pose that relies on equal parts effort and ease.

After making alignment adjustments in Warrior I, let go and feel the wholesome integration of your entire body.

Tight calves can interfere with your practice in ways you might not suspect, but frequent stretching can improve calf flexibility.

This forward fold restores a sense of balance by grounding the body so the mind can become tranquil.

Upavistha Konasana is good preparation for most of the seated forward bends, twists, and the wide-leg standing poses.

Need an energy boost? Urdhva Dhanurasana can help—and strengthen your arms, legs, abdomen, and spine in the process.

This is no easy chair. Sit back and power up in Chair Pose.