A strong core is more than being able to do a lot of crunches or having a six pack. Real core strength means that you can use your core to help with everyday movements like flexion, extension, and rotation of the spine. However, it also means that you can remain stable and steady through your center and resist imposing outside forces (also known as anti-rotation).
If building core strength is one of your fitness goals, then it is essential to focus on your ability to twist, bend, and extend, as well as your ability to feel stable and grounded through your center. These 5 yoga poses will help you get there!
Begin seated with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Grab on to the back of your thighs and start to lift your feet off the mat as you keep your chest open and upright. You can keep your shins parallel with the floor or extend your knees and point your toes. Gently release your hands and extend them out in front of you.
Boat pose is one of the quintessential core building poses in yoga (you might have seen this called a v-sit in different types of workouts). You are targeting multiple muscles in your core at once (in your posterior AND anterior chain) while simultaneously working your balance.
For an additional challenge you can add in rotation at your core or extend your arms overhead while you focus on keeping your core stable and unmoving.
Begin in tabletop pose, with your hips stacked over your knees and shoulders stacked over your wrists. Start to engage your core by pulling your belly button back towards your spine and tucking your tailbone down. As you inhale, reach your arm forward out in front of you, as you reach your opposite leg behind you. Hold for 3-5 deep breaths.
Balancing Table is a great pose for building strength not only in your abdominal muscles but also in your back muscles and glutes (your core is more than just your abs!). It requires strength, stability, and balance so it’s a great posture for developing functional core strength.
To incorporate movement in this posture, bring your extended elbow to your opposite knee, and use your abdominal muscles to pull everything in to your center. As you inhale, extend your arm and leg back out into balancing table