Yoga With Denise Austin: Downward Dog With Leg Lift

Try This Today

• Denise Austin will show you the proper way to perform the Downward Dog With Leg Lift pose. Watch the video above.
• Hold the pose for 30 seconds on each side.
• Breathe deeply while holding the pose.
• Adapt the pose to suit your fitness level. For example, lift your leg only to a level that is comfortable for you. Keep your shoulders and hips straight. Twisting your hips and shoulders may throw off your balance. Keep practicing this pose​,​ and you will improve over time.
• Try adding this pose along with Beginner Downward Dog to expand your yoga routine.

Why

Have you tried the Beginner Downward Dog pose? If you feel comfortable with this foundational yoga pose, then you may be ready to try Downward Dog With Leg Lift. This pose strengthens and stretches the arms, wrists, hamstrings, hip flexors and buttocks. Yoga helps promote​ better balance and can help build your core strength. Yoga can help improve cognitive function in older adults, according to a systematic review of six studies of people age 60 and older published in 2021 in Complementary Therapies in Medicine. In a more recent systematic review and meta-analysis of 15 studies of adults age 60 and older published in 2023 in the International Journal of Older People Nursing​,​ yoga significantly improved balance, strength, flexibility and symptoms of depression.