Basic Yoga Poses for Beginners: Postures Everyone Needs to Know

If you’re here, we take it you’re interested in learning a bit more about the basic yoga poses?

Right?

Our expert staff member, qualified yoga instructor Roberta Harrington, is going to take you into more detail on her five favourite basic yoga postures – see more here in this video.

She will also give her advice on some yoga myths and also what yoga is best for weight loss.

It’s worth reading!

Before you begin, you might want to check out Roberta’s Ultimate Guide to Yoga at Home. 

basic yoga poses

Before you get stuck into these poses, why not give our Ultimate Guide to Yoga at Home blog a read?

If you’re not a beginner, why not check out our Sports Yoga for Performance and Recovery class? 

Basic Yoga Poses

“Today I will take you through basic yoga postures that will get you started on your yoga journey. These postures will help improve your flexibility, mobility and will of course works towards advance your overall physical and mental health.”

Easy Pose

“This is a great posture to learn just to meditate in or to slow down your breathing. Take a criss-cross position with the legs, allow the knees to fall out naturally left and right, and the most important thing here is that we lift up through the crown of the head, draw the shoulders back and down and really try to elongate that back and spine.

“Take the hands to the outside to the knees or to prayer at heart centre, when you’re feeling ready go ahead and close down the eyes. We’re simply going to work towards slowing down our breath here, keeping that breath slow, breathing in through the nose and exhaling through the nose.”

Cat & Cow

“Take yourself to a table top position, or all fours, stacking the hands beneath the shoulders and knees hip distance apart, toes untucked at the back. As you inhale drop the belly down, turn your tailbone up and lift your gaze straight ahead for cow pose.

basic yoga poses

“And as you exhale press down through the palm of your hands and begin to wind up with your spine, tuck your pelvis under, your chin to your chest for cat pose. Exhaling finding cat, inhaling finding cow.”

Wide Childs Pose

“Take your big toes to touch at the back, take your knees a little wider than hip width and begin to walk your hands forward reaching through the finger tips and reach your forehead down towards the mat. Find a slow and steady breath and close down the eyes.”

Low Lunge pose

“Step your right foot ahead, stack the knee over the ankle. Lift up through the torso reaching up through the crown of the head and draw the shoulders back. Option to take hands to prayer at heart centre or to reach u either side of the head, I want you to push nice and deep into that right knee at the front.”

basic yoga poses

Tree pose

“This is a really good grounding and balancing posture. So to get here I want you to shift your weight into your left foot and place the sole of your right foot into the inside of your left calf and create that triangular looking shape with the right knee.

“Go ahead and draw in the belly button so activating the core, take hands to prayer at heart centre or go ahead and reach up all the way overhead. Focus on a point in front of you or what we like to call a Drishti, and this will help you to stay balanced.”

Yoga Myths

“People thing they’re too inflexible for yoga and I always laugh at this because is that not the reason you’re doing it – to improve? It’s like practicing a skill in any other sport, you will not get better unless you do it. You will probably hate it to begin with, which I did and now I am a yoga teacher! But once you get through that barrier, it could take 6-8 weeks, you will find that your body will actually crave the movement and the space and the time, so give it a chance.”

What is the best yoga for weight loss?

“This differs from person to person, but I would say depending on your fitness and your body type, I would say for a complete beginner that might have a bit more weight to loss, a hatha style yoga would be a great introduction.

“As you progress, you may choose a more vigorous style like Vinyasa or Power. They are much more of a dynamic style where you will work on strength-based postures and it will challenge you mentally and physically.

“But make sure to attend a beginner’s class first as it will give you a sense of achievement and not a sense of failure you might get at a really difficult class.”

basic yoga poses

 


5 of the Best Weight Training Exercises for Women

Is this the year you want to really get in shape? Well, we’re here with the best weight training exercises for women to help you do just that.

Don’t worry if you’re slightly intimidated by starting weight training for the first time either, it’s easier than it looks.

Also, forget about that myth that weight training makes women ‘big and bulky’ – that’s completely outdated.

It’s proven to benefit heart health, bone health, body composition, sporting performance, metabolism, injury prevention and mental health.

So if you’re heading for the gym, or working out from home, and are wondering what basic weight training exercise you can do, look no further.

We’ve got you covered below.

Our brand ambassador and Republic of Ireland soccer star, Rianna Jarret explains what her best weight training exercises for women are.

Oh, and by the way, you also might be interested in our Ultimate Guide to Doing Yoga at Home Blog?

Best Weight Training Exercises for Women

Dumbbell Chest Press

“Playing any kind of field sport, the dumbbell chest press is really important. Especially for me as a strike, it’s important to be strong in my upper body – my arms and my chest – in order to keep the defenders away from the ball.
“When you’re doing the exercise, it’s important to make sure you’re in control of the movement throughout the exercise and not letting the dumbbell swing or sway while pressing.

best weight training exercises for women

“Keep your feet plant on the ground, engage the core and try and aim for 90-degree angles in your arms when you are at the bottom of the lift.

“I like to do three sets of eight repetitions.”

One arm row

You will need a bench or sturdy platform to do this exercise. You need to keep two feet on the ground and one arm on the bench.

“It’s important to bring the dumbbell to your chest while concentrating the feeling with your back and shoulder muscles. So squeeze these at the top of the move.

best weight training exercises for women

“This is good for building a strong core a well and as a field sport athlete, helps me in keeping the defender at arms width.”

Seated Shoulder Press

You will need a bench or something similar for this exercise.

“Start off with a light weight to get the feel for the movement, making sure you get a full range of motion while staying controlled throughout.

best weight training exercises for women

“This exercise is very important for a footballer because I need to be strong in my shoulders to compete in the aerial battles.”

Tricep Extension

The start position for this exercise is very similar to the one arm row and all the same principles apply only you keep one knee on the bench too.

“The only difference is you’re starting at close to a 90-degree angle before sweeping the dumbbell back towards your feet and aiming to keep get your arm at 180 degrees.

“This is key for me as a footballer because upper body strength is such an important part of the game.”

Kettlebell/Dumbbell Squat

“Squats with a kettlebell train the legs dynamically while also engaging the upper back and shoulders. As you hold the kettlebell in front of you, they also put a strain on your core.

“Stand with your feet hip width apart to perform a kettlebell squat. Pick up your kettlebell with both hands and hold it close to your chest with the handle facing downwards and your hands around the primary section of the kettlebell.

“Squat with your chest high and back straight while holding the kettlebell close to your chest.

“Squats are really good because how they challenge your whole body throughout the exercise and are definitely one of the best weight training exercises for women.”

 

Check out the video of Rianna Jarrett below.

 

We hope this guide has given you some inspiration and guidance in kickstarting your weight training schedule.

If you’re not yet feeling comfortable to hit the weight rack, cardio and running exercise has a lot of health benefits too.

You can check out our home-gym and weight training accessories HERE or below.

best weight training exercises for women