Whether you're walking up and down the subway steps, carrying bags of groceries home from the corner deli or jumping through rush-hour traffic to hail a cab, having a nice pair of legs in the city is almost necessary for survival.

If the usual gym routine makes you crave excitement, try yoga poses, most of which tone legs without causing muscles to appear bulky. "Yoga poses make the legs very shapely," trainer Adrian Veras says.

Here are some basic poses to get your gams looking lovely.

Tree Pose

Standing on your right leg, lift your left knee into your chest. Then open your left knee to the side, placing the sole of your left foot into your inner right thigh. Inhale and lift your arms up to the sky, palms together. Look at an unmoving object in front of you to steady your balance. Hold the pose for five slow, deep breaths and then repeat on the other side. While promoting an overall sense of balance, this strengthens and lengthens the leg muscles.

Downward-Facing Dog

Position yourself on your hands and knees, your palms directly under your shoulders and your knees directly under your hips. As you exhale, straighten both your legs, drawing the soles of your feet closer to the floor. Shift your weight backward, lengthen your back, lift your quadriceps and look at your navel. Hold the pose for five to 10 slow, deep breaths through the nose. This stretches the backs of your legs, making your walk lighter and more graceful. It also makes your quadriceps stronger.

Warrior Poses

From the downward-facing dog pose, place your right foot forward between your palms. Place your left foot on the floor, so that the middle of the left instep directly bisects your right heel. Rotate both hipbones to face the front. Lift your straight arms with touching palms up. Arch your back and look up, deeply bending your right knee. Warrior Pose One is excellent for flat feet. Hold the pose for five slow, deep breaths through the nose.

Open your arms and hips to the side, your right arm forward and left arm back. Look at your right fingertips, bend your right knee at a 90-degree angle, keeping your back leg straight. Hold the pose for five breaths. Warrior Pose Two strengthens thighs, calves and buttocks. Repeat both poses on the other side.

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Anastasia Dorohova is a certified yoga instructor and certified and registered holistic health counselor (www.steadybliss.com)