Locust Pose is a simple backbend with numerous benefits and endless variations. Touted as a safe, effective way to strengthen the core and back muscles, the pose is loved by yoga teachers, strength trainers and physical therapists alike.
There are ways to use the pose to target the butt and hamstrings, activate the deep inner core muscles, focus on the back muscles, move cross laterally and more.
Want to try a few? Here are three of my favorite dynamic exercises to do in Locust Pose, try just one or all three and rest in Child’s Pose when you’re done.
1. Reverse Sit Ups for Your Back
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Lie on your stomach with your legs extended straight out behind you and the tops of your feet on the floor. Bend your elbows to the sides and stack your hands underneath your forehead.
Reach back through your inner feet and spread your toes, activating your legs, and anchor them down to the floor. Keeping your hands and forehead together, inhale and lift your head and chest away from the floor; exhale and lower back down.
Repeat for ten rounds of breath. As you lift and lower your torso, press the tops of your feet down into the floor and try to relax your outer legs.
2. Heel Lifts for Your Butt and Thighs
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Start with your palms stacked under your forehead. Bend both knees, place the inner edges of your big toes together and flex your feet with a slight separation between your heels.
This time, as you lift your head and chest on your inhale, you’re also going to lift the knees, pressing the bottoms of your feet toward the sky. Repeat 8 to 10, lifting on your inhale and lowering your forehead and knees back down to the mat on your exhale.
On your last round, stay lift and try pumping your heels up and down for the count of five.
3. Alternating Superman for Your Inner Core
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Locust Pose with the arms stretched out in front is often called superman, and alternating superman are fantastic cross lateral exercises.
Lie in the pose with your arms along side, turn your thumbs up and strongly push the pinkie sides of your hands down into the floor. Draw back through your arms and lift the front of your chest and face away from the floor. Reach back through your inner thighs and activate your legs.
On an inhale, press down through the outer edge of your left hand and lift your right arm up; at the same time, press down through the top of your right foot and lift your left leg up. Exhale and lower your right arm and left leg back down.
Keep your chest lifted between sides, and on your next inhale lift your left arm and right leg, pressing down through the opposite hand and foot.
Try these exercises and let me know how it goes in the comments below!
