That feeling of calm joy isn't the only thing you'll walk away from your mat with.  The physical demands yoga places on your muscles also give you an amazing body — Jennifer Aniston is living proof.  Focusing on strength rather than flexibility, these 10 yoga poses will help you sculpt long, lean muscles so you feel confident in your skin, even when baring it all.

Quarter Dog

Why it works:  The Quarter Dog may look like a resting pose, but it's a killer move for your upper body.

Get more out of it:  To work your upper body and core more, practice hopping into Forearm Stand Split.  Starting in the Quarter Dog, gaze forward between your hands, step both feet together, lift your right leg into the air, and practice kicking up.  It's OK if you can't stay balanced — just hopping up will effectively work your muscles.

Side Fierce

Why it works:  Squats work your lower body like no other move, and when you twist to the side, it makes it even more challenging, which makes your thighs and glutes work harder.  Actively pressing your bottom elbow against the outside of your knee also works your upper body.

Get more out of it:  Make this pose harder by placing your bottom hand on the floor and raising your upper arm into the air.  Holy thighs burning!

Crow

Why it works:  If you notice a yogi's strong, sculpted arms, I'll bet money on the fact that she practices arm-balancing poses like Crow.  This pose will also tone your abs.

Get more out of it:  Honestly, this pose is challenging enough on its own, but if you want to go for the gold, work on straightening your arms.  You can also practice slowly jumping into this pose from Down Dog — an awesome way to isolate your abs.

Wide Boat

Why it works:  Wide Boat looks supereasy, but it's a great way to slim and tone the inner thighs and abs.

Get more out of it:  Alternate between this pose and regular Boat pose for even more inner-thigh-toning action.

Locust

Why it works:  The Locust pose effectively targets your entire backside — booty and all.

Get more out of it:  After five breaths, keeping arms and legs lifted, open your arms and legs out wide, like a flying squirrel.  Stay for five breaths, and bring your legs together and extend your arms straight forward (like Superwoman) for another five breaths.  Your lower back, bum, and backs of the thighs will be on fire!

Intense East

Why it works:  Although it looks like a relaxing heart-opening pose, Intense East is one of the most effective poses to give you a round and sculpted tush and to tighten up the area below your bum.

Get more out of it:  Challenge your glutes and hamstrings even more by lifting one leg into the air.

Knee Up Plank

Why it works:  All variations of Plank pose work your core like no other, and when you draw your knee into your chest, you'll feel your abs engaged even more.

Get more out of it:  For a sexy, sculpted upper back, bend your right elbow and rest your right bent knee on your triceps.

Balancing Star

Why it works:  This variation of Side Plank is a total-body move.  Each micromovement you make to stay balanced on your hand and foot really works your upper body and core.

Get more out of it:  Bend your upper leg and grab your big toe with the first two fingers and thumb of your upper hand.  Work on straightening your leg, which will not only be more challenging for your bottom arm (especially your shoulder), but it'll also increase flexibility in your hamstring, which may not make you look better naked, but it'll sure allow you to be more experimental in the bedroom.

Wheel

Why it works:  This classic backbend tones your arms, upper back, thighs, and tush.

Get more out of it:  To add more definition to your upper body, do backbend push-ups.  While in this pose, bend your elbows and lower your head toward the floor, and then straighten your arms.  Repeat as many push-ups as you can.  To more effectively tone your thighs and glutes, step your feet together and raise one leg in the air.

Bound Headstand B

Why it works:  Inversions work your core because it takes so much effort to keep your body balanced, but this version of Headstand, where your legs are parallel to the floor, works your core even more.  Bound Headstand also tones your upper back.

Get more out of it:  Instead of holding your legs in this position, try Headstand Crunches.  Slowly lower your feet all the way to the floor, and before touching the ground, slowly raise them up coming into full Headstand.  Continue lowering and raising for as many reps as you can, and your abs and upper body will be feeling it in the morning.

Handstands in the morning!  We love Britney's caption to this Instagram pic, "Stretching in the morning keeps me motivated." And now we're inspired to get moving too!  Try this handstand trick where you kick up and balance your foot on something like a Bosu Ball on a bench, a wall, a coffee table, or even your couch.  It feels so good to be upside down — you gain new perspective and increase your circulation, and it's one of the funnest ways to tone your upper body.  PS:  that dog in the background makes this picture even more awesome!

'Tis the season to lose all fitness motivation ... I'm serious!  Once Winter rolls around my healthy eating goals go out the window, and so do my workouts.  When the weather starts to dip and there are more hours of dark than daylight, just getting out from under my doona can seem like too much effort.  Luckily, I've learned my lesson — if I can get my butt to the gym or out the door to start a run, I can accomplish it — it's just finding the motivation that's truly a struggle.  These seven tricks have helped jolt me back in to my routine, so give them a try!

Let There Be Light

When it's dark in the morning, my first inclination is to just keep hitting snooze until I finally drag myself out of bed.  To combat my early morning laziness, I've found one trick that seems to really work:  turning on my light.  As soon as my first alarm goes off, my arm shoots up and flips the switch, forcing me to be bathed in a warm glow.  Soon, I'm out of bed and ready to get outdoors.

Warm Up Indoors

If I'm headed out on a run when the temperatures have dipped down, I wake up my mind and body with a quick warm-up in the lobby of my apartment building.  Sure, it looks a little silly if a neighbour catches me doing a few jumping jacks and high knees, but it's well worth it.

Gear Up

Most of the year, my go-to outfit is shorts and a t-shirt.  But when I'm struggling to make it out in the chilly weather, cosy clothes make everything just a little bit better.  Stylish outerwear like warm jackets (with reflective strips if possible) or even running gloves make my time spent outdoors much more bearable.

Plug In

OK, this may seem like cheating, but on days when I'm struggling to get myself off the couch and into the gym, I'll treat myself.  I tote along my phone and play a favourite Netflix show while I hit the bike or elliptical.  Getting engrossed in a favourite series is a fool-proof way to distract you from a workout, and it's a great way to get yourself up and off the couch — no watching unless your feet are moving!

Get Set to Sweat

I'm always cold during the Winter, so the one thing I really look forward to is getting toasty.  Whether it's hitting up a Bikram yoga class or just spending a few extra minutes in the sauna post-cycling class, just the thought of basking in the heat is enough to get me going.

Lug Your Gym Bag to Work

Winter nights are the death of evening workouts.  When I leave the office in the pitch dark, all I can think about is curling up under my covers with a hot chocolate in one hand and a book in the other.  But if I make sure to tote my gym bag to the office, I'll know that the entire walk home I'll have a constant reminder that the gym is just a quick walk away.

Recruit a Buddy

Yes, I know I've shared my love for running alone in the past, but desperate times call for desperate measures.  During the Winter, one of the biggest tricks you can pull is recruiting a buddy to hit the gym with you.  No matter what you do, or at what time of day, enlisting a partner will mean that the moment you start to drag your feet on the way to workout, you'll have no choice but to make it there anyways.

I truly hate running.  I've tried every fitness class my city offers — and living in one of the fittest cities in the country means I have a lot of options.  And at-home workouts?  The living room in my tiny San Francisco apartment is about as wide as my wingspan.  I don't work out, but I am still the healthiest and most fit I've been in my adult life.

I know that fitness means something different for everyone, and I am not saying that working out is something people shouldn't be doing, either because they want to, because they need to, or both.  But when it pertains to my own fitness regime, I can knock it, because I sure as hell have tried it all.

Growing up, I was active and athletic.  I participated in an array of sports — from basketball, track, dance, and gymnastics to swimming, diving, and horseback riding.  I was also an active nanny for years, and anyone who has kids or works with them knows that keeping up with two toddlers is more work than running a marathon.  I loved it all and never once thought of what I was doing as a workout or as something that I had to push myself to do.  Then my focus shifted significantly.  No longer was I a high schooler with time to spare and a metabolism the speed of light — I was a determined college student dedicated equally to my GPA and happy hour, and then I was a postgrad professional looking for a job.  When was I supposed to be squeezing in a trip to the gym, especially considering the fact that getting myself there was like pulling teeth?

Still, I tried everything to stay healthy and in shape.  I bought fitness videos and watched countless online workouts for people who hate working out, for people who live in small apartments, for people who don't know body balls from barbells.  I signed up for individual classes at yoga, barre, and cycling studios, experimented with different gyms, took boxing lessons, and even tried my hand at aerial silks (which were by far my favorite!).  Still, nothing quite did it for me.  I skipped classes, made excuses, and ultimately felt worse about myself because I simply couldn't muster the motivation everyone around me seemingly had for fitness.

What I realised about myself is this:  I hate exercise that feels like effort.  For me to get a good workout, the results need to be incidental, not intentional, which is why fitness activities that aren't focused on the workout aspect, but more on the fun, appeal to me most.  So I stopped working out.  I implemented a few simple things into my daily routine — simple being the operative word here — and I have never felt healthier, more in shape, and happier since letting go of other people's idea of what fitness should be and instead doing what really works best for me.  Here's how I did it.

I stay constantly active and on my feet.

I am never, ever idle.  Seriously, it's to the point where I risk running into people (and poles) daily because I read while walking through the city.  I am constantly on the move, even at work.  I get up and down several times an hour and take my laptop to places in the office that allow me to stand (standing desk is next on the list).  On the weekends, I make sure to allow myself some downtime with Netflix or a good book, but I don't waste beautiful, sunny California Saturdays sitting on the couch.

I walk everywhere I can.

I am lucky to live in a place where walking is not only possible but also very practical.  I honestly think this is the key to staying in shape for me.  I walk everywhere.  I have a Fitbit, but my biggest thing about having one is to not let myself dwell on the nitpicky parts of the device.  I don't log every calorie I eat, and I don't use it to lose weight.  I just love challenging myself every day, and having it on my wrist reminds me to take the stairs instead of the escalator and to not waver at the sight of a San Francisco hill but conquer it so that I'm rewarded with an amazing view when I make it to the top.  Just this weekend I caught up with my mum on the phone while walking the three miles from my house to Target (totally worth the trek!), then hopped on a bus on the way back home since I had bags.  Two birds, one stone.

I eat healthy.

I have a very healthy diet.  I eat what I think is probably most similar to a Paleo diet — but I don't diet.  I just try to stick to things that are natural, clean, and not overly prepared, like vegetables, fruits, fish, and meat.  I also don't overeat, mainly because I can't stand feeling sickeningly full, so I am a huge proponent of multiple small meals throughout the day.  It makes the workday go by faster when you get to snack on something every couple of hours, anyway!  Sweets aren't my thing, but I swear by a rare steak every now and then and a post-work glass of red wine.  I avoid mixed alcoholic drinks because, to be honest, I can't stand the sugar, and I drink my coffee black unless I opt for green tea instead.

I make fitness fun.

I've stopped pushing myself to go to classes and join a gym, but instead I save my energy for activities that I can get really excited about.  I ski, I swim, I dance, and I ride horses any chance I can get.  I'm planning my next biking trip across the Golden Gate Bridge, and my last hike took me on a five-hour adventure through a redwood forest in Northern California.  I make fitness fun for myself, and in doing so, I've learned to love my version of a "workout" so much that I am more in shape than I've ever been in my adult life.  I am climbing toward my 30s feeling incredibly fit, and what's more, I've finally found a way to stay healthy without hating it.

Let's get ready to crush our 2017 goals, starting right on Jan. 1.  Need some motivation or just some motivational tunes?  These empowering and energising tracks will help you get your butt to the gym and pump you up through any cardio or strength training you have planned.  You may or may not feel like a badass in the process.

1. Let's Go
   Calvin Harris, Ne-Yo
    
2. POWER
   Kanye West
    
3. Move Your Body - Alan Walker Remix
   Sia
    
4. The Key
   The Knocks
    
5. Give It To Me Twice (feat. Sean Kingston & Rich The Kid)
   Sean Kingston, Rich The Kid, Party Favor
    
6. Clearest Blue
   CHVRCHES
    
7. Millionaire
   Digital Farm Animals, Cash Cash, Nelly
    
8. Hard
   Rihanna, Jeezy
    
9. Indian Summer
   Jai Wolf
    
10. Don't Need Nobody
    Ellie Goulding
     
11. Unstoppable
    Sia
     
12. 24K Magic
    Bruno Mars
     
13. Fade
    Kanye West
     
14. How To Love (feat. Sofia Reyes)
    Cash Cash, Sofia Reyes
     
15. My Way
    Calvin Harris
     
16. The Greatest
    Sia
     
17. Starboy
    The Weeknd, Daft Punk

If this mix isn't your speed or style, check out all of our workout playlists to find something that suits your taste.  Just download the free Spotify software or app.