7 Yoga Poses for a Perky Butt

Chair Pose

If you've dabbled in yoga and have tried this pose, you know it can be a killer. Not only does chair pose work your booty muscles but it also engages your upper leg muscles for a full lower body burn. Chair pose is ultimately yoga's version of a squat — but it is much easier on the knees. Read below for a step-by step, as proper form really makes a difference with this pose.

Step-by-step:

Step 1: Your big toes should be touching each other and your heels should be kept a little apart, back straight and chest up. Then, take a deep breath and lift your arms over your head. Your arms should be kept at the same level or in front of your ears.

Step 2: Then, breathe out and bend your knees. Try to make the thighs as parallel to the ground as possible. The knees should come out in front of the feet. Remain in this pose for 30 seconds to one minute.

Step 3: To release from the pose, you should straighten your knees while breathing in. Then, breathe out and bring your arms to the sides of your body, back into Tadasana.

Bridge Pose

Bridge pose is the perfect pose for building lower body strength — plus, you get to do it from a relaxed position on the floor. The higher you lift your hip in this pose the greater the benefit to your glutes.

Step-by-step:

Step 1: Lie face up with your knees bent, feet hip-width apart and arms by sides with palms down.

Step 2: Slowly lift your hips off the ground until you form a diagonal line from knees to shoulders. Try to keep your abs tight as you lift your hips higher. Raise butt as high up as you can, keeping your glutes squeezed tight. Hold for a 5 count and lower back down to mat. Hold for 4-8 breaths and release by slowly rolling your spine back down to the floor. Repeat this 10x.

Warrior I

To get the biggest benefits out of this pose, make certain that you keep your hips low to engage your glute and thigh muscles. Additionally, make sure that you're pressing into the edge of your front foot — this is where you'll really feel feel the outside of your tush burning.

Step-by-step:

Step 1: Separate your feet in a parallel split stance (about 4-5 feet away). Turn your back foot out pointing away from your body. Keep your hips and torso rotated forward towards your front foot.

Step 2: Take a deep breath and on your exhale, bend your front knee into a 90-degree angle. Raise your arms, forming a straight line at shoulder height and keep your gaze at your fingertips in front of you, or raise your arms straight above your head. Hold pose for 30 seconds.

Warrior II

Warrior II is a great pose to stretch your legs, but it also works the entire back of your leg from your hamstrings to your glutes. The external rotation of your front leg will firm up your glute muscles.

Step-by-step:

Step 1: Separate your feet in a parallel split stance (about 4-5 feet away). Turn your back foot out pointing away from your body. Keep your hips and torso rotated forward towards your front foot. Line up the front heel with the back arch and let the hips open to the side of the mat. Bend the front knee to about 90 degrees and lunge forward to the front of the mat. Still and strengthen the lower body by drawing the tailbone in and up toning the abdominal wall.

Step 2: Then float the arms up, one forward and one back, symbolically raising your sword. Maintain a soft gaze at the front hand's middle fingernail as you soften the pose with awareness and strength. Hold for 30 seconds.

3-Legged Dog

The 3-legged dog will stretch the bags of your legs and tone your booty. Lifting your leg as high as you comfortably can and actively squeezing your glutes is the key to making this move a real booty-blaster.

Step-by-step:

Step 1: Begin on your hands and feet in Downward Dog. Step both feet together so your big toes are touching.

Step 2: Shift weight into your hands and your left foot equally. Then raise your right leg up to the ceiling. Try to keep your shoulders parallel with the ground and gaze at your left thigh or up toward your belly to help you stay balanced. To feel the stretch in your left hamstring, keep pressing your left heel down toward the ground. Stay here for 5 breaths; switch to the other side and hold for 5 breaths.

Locust Pose

This move fully targets your glutes; it forces you to engage those glute muscles to lift your body off the ground. The higher you lift the higher that booty will be.

Step-by-step:

Step 1: Lie on your belly and bring your legs together. Clasp your hands together as well behind your back, stretching the chest and drawing the shoulder blades together.

Step 2: Squeeze the glutes and use the core to lift the chest and legs off the floor. Reach the arms back farther as if someone is pulling on them. Squeeze the glutes and hold for 5 breaths. Return your body to the floor and repeat 5 times.

Goddess Pose

Goddess pose in yoga is similar to a plié squat.

Step-by-step:

Step 1: Start from a standing position with your feet about three feet apart, turning them out 90 degrees. Bend your elbows at shoulder height with your palms facing forward.

Step 2: As you exhale, bend your knees over the toes in a squatting position. Make sure to press your hips forward, knees back and drop the shoulders down pressing your chest forward. Squat and rise for 60 seconds, take a 20 second break then repeat 3 times.