Build strong, lean arms with Yoga: these three poses strengthen and tone your arm muscles and keep them flexible - Better Health Through Movement

YOGA POSTURES STRENGTHEN your arm muscles and keep them supple. When done properly, these poses align your arm muscles, which can protect them from pain and injury. Yoga poses also help you maintain bone density, preventing osteoporosis,

Start and end this routine with Eagle Arms and Reverse Namaste to improve circulation in your arms and to ease stiffness in your shoulders and arms. Caution: Avoid Eagle Arms and Reverse Namaste if you have a shoulder injury. If you have heart disease, high blood pressure, a hyperthyroid condition, a hernia, or wrist problems like carpal tunnel, or if you have had a stroke or are pregnant, you should skip Four-Limbed Staff and Inclined Plane.

Eagle Arms and Reverse Namaste

1. Stand tall with your feet hip-distance apart. Stretch your arms out to your sides at shoulder height and then cross them in front of you, at the elbows, placing your left arm over the right. Bend your elbows and bring your forearms up toward your face, pointing your fingertips to the ceiling, If you can, turn the insides of your hands to face each other and press them together, as pictured. If this is too difficult, just press your arms together. With your arms bound together, use your elbows to draw imaginary circles clockwise on the wall in front of you. Your arms and shoulders will move, but keep the rest of your body still.

2. To release, unravel your arms, and extend them out to your sides at shoulder height. Repeat step 1, crossing your right arm over your left. When you're finished, unravel your arms, extend them out at shoulder height again, and then drop them to your sides.

3. Move on to Reverse Namaste. Place your hands on your lower back, putting your pinkie fingers against your back with your fingertips pointing to each other and your palms facing the floor. Slide your hands toward each other and bring your palms together in a prayer position near your middle back, as pictured. Open your chest and press your shoulders back. Hold for 2 to 5 breaths.

4. To release, slowly slide your hands down toward your buttocks and then drop them to your sides.

Four-Limbed Staff

1. Begin on all fours in Table pose, with your hands under your shoulders and your knees under your hips. Walk your knees back a few inches behind your hips. Lift up onto the balls of your feet and raise your buttocks toward the ceiling in a gentle version of Downward-Facing Dog. Your body will be shaped like a triangle.

2. Tuck your tailbone under and slowly lower your pelvis toward the floor, straightening your body. Press your shoulders away from your ears and draw your abdominal muscles up toward your spine. Hold for 3 to 8 breaths.

3. Beginners should stop here with their arms straight. If you are more advanced, lower your body farther by bending your elbows, being sure to keep them close to your body. You may only be able to lower yourself an inch or two at first, but aim to eventually hold your body completely straight and a few inches above the ground, as pictured. Hold for a breath or two, building to 5 to 8 deep, full breaths. This pose is challenging and takes practice, so be patient with yourself.

4. To release, lower your body to the floor. Turn your head to one side and rest, allowing your breathing to return to normal.

Inclined Plane

1. Sit tall on the floor with your legs extended in front of you. Center yourself on your sitting bones, the two knobs at the base of your spine, under your buttocks. Draw the insides of your legs together, and imagine a string attached to the center of your chest lifting your heart toward the ceiling.

2. Keep your spine straight as you place your palms on the floor a few inches behind you, with your fingertips pointing away from you. (Later, you can experiment with pointing your fingers toward your body.)

3. Lean back onto your hands and press down into your hands and heels as you lift your hips and the whole front of your body toward the ceiling. Imagine that your thighs, hips, belly, and heart are being hoisted to the ceiling with invisible strings. Keep your arms and legs straight and point your toes away from your body. Look straight ahead, or, if your neck is strong, tilt your head back, as pictured. Hold for 2 to 10 breaths.

4. To release, lift your head and slowly lower your buttocks back to the floor. Close your eyes and allow your breathing to return to normal.

Success Story

Kerry Chandler, 41 Rumson, N.J.

Her Story: Chandler, a mother of twins, runs five days a week and has always had strong legs. But while playing tennis three years ago, she realized that her arms were much weaker than her legs.

How Yoga Helped: A friend invited Chandler to join a yoga class. Holding deep poses for extended periods and focusing on proper alignment improved her upper body strength significantly, "I was surprised at how good I felt," she says, "No other exercise has worked my entire body like this." Her yoga practice was especially helpful while she trained for a recent marathon. She crossed the finish line injury-free. As a bonus, she functions better as a mom. "I can carry both my kids and my groceries," she says.