Yoga Postures For The Core Muscles
3 Yoga Postures For The Core Muscles By Pooja Doshi
1. Chair Pose: Utkatasana
This posture works on the muscles of the arms and legs, and also opens up the heart and diaphragm.
Stand in mountain pose. As you inhale, raise your arms perpendicular to the floor keeping them either parallel or in prayer. As you exhale bend your knees, keeping the thighs together and bending them at 90degrees (right angle). Make sure the knees do not go over your toes when you bending in the pose. Shift your shoulder blades against the back, taking your tailbone down as though you are sitting on an invisible chair tightening the core muscles.
Stay in this posture for 30 seconds to a minute. To come out of the posture, straighten your knees as you inhale and release your arms back to mountain pose on exhalation.
Note: You can use a Yoga block to increase the strength of your thighs as you squeeze it in between your thighs when in the pose.
Benefits:
This strengthens the thighs, ankles and spine.
It works on the shoulders and chest opening them up.
It works on the abdominal organs, diaphragm, and heart.
This posture also reduces flat feet.
2. Bridge Pose: Setu Bandha Sarvangasana
Bridge posture is very restorative, energizing and relaxing.
Lie on the floor, bend your knees with your feet shoulder-width apart and heels on the floor. As you exhale press your feet and palms which are also on the floor, slowly push
your tailbone upward toward the pubis, tightening the buttocks, and lift them off the floor. Make sure your thighs are lifted and feet are parallel to the floor. Support your lower back by holding it, which will help you balance your weight on the shoulders. Make sure the pubis is lifted towards the navel. You can use a blanket to place it behind your neck to be able to stay in the posture for a longer time. Stay in this pose from 30 seconds to 1 minute. Release with an exhalation, as you gently come back to the floor slowly.
Benefits:
This posture stretches out the chest, neck, abdomen and spine.
It also helps with relieving stress and supports mild depression.
The abdominal, lungs, and thyroid organs are stimulated.
It aids in digestion.
It relieves menstrual pains and also the symptoms of menopause.
Helps with anxiety, asthma, backaches, insomnia, sinusitis, osteoporosis and headaches.
3. Boat Pose: Paripurna Navasana
This is ab and hip flexor strengthener. It requires you to balance on the tip of the sitting bones and tailbone.
Sit on the floor with your legs in a straight position in front of you. Make sure you press your hands on the floor just a little behind your hips, fingers pointing towards the feet. Slowly start leaning back slightly with your back straight and tightening your core. Come to a position, where you are sitting between your tailbone and sitting bones. As you exhale, bend your knees and lift your feet off the floor angling them at around 45degrees. Make sure your knees and legs are straight in this posture tightening your core (if you can’t straighten your knees then you can bend them being parallel to the floor). Stretch your arms out, parallel to the floor, with your fingers stretched out. Stay in this posture for 20 seconds in the beginning. On exhalation release the legs back to the floor and bring yourself back to a seated posture.
Benefits:
This posture strengthens the abdomen, hip flexors, and spine.
It also helps stimulates the kidneys, intestines and thyroid glands.
It helps with anxiety and also digestion.
Pooja Doshi – Yoga & Zumba Practioner