Yoga for the Core

I'm a firm believer that strengthening "the core" should involve more than crunches.  Having taken enough Pilates classes, I'm pretty familiar with the concept of the "Powerhouse," which is the various groups of muscles responsible for keeping our bodies upright, and from which other movements should naturally derive.  In other words, when you run, your arms and legs move rapidly, but to have an efficient run your center must remain steady.  The off-centered movements in the limbs is anchored by a strong, solid center.

A strong core helps with more than running, obviously.  Being upright is a requirement of most everyday activities, and being strong in the core can prevent the back pain that often accompanies those activities.  Being strong in the core means more than strengthening the abdominals, but don't get me wrong-having a strong core means having strong abs.  We just also want a strong back, sides, and hips to go with them.  Strong muscles surrounding the spine will keep the spine in it's proper alignment, keeping your back free of pain and your stomach slim and strong.

This intermediate/advanced vinyasa routine will challenge the muscles of the entire center of the body as well as the shoulders.  You will feel this one in your shoulders.  Breathe deeply.  In general, exhale on the exertion and pull your navel in toward the spine as you do so, and inhale on the relaxation, allowing the belly to relax completely with each inhalation.  Think of the belly of a cat here-not tensed but supple and strong.  Do this sequence at the end of your yoga practice, or at least after a few Sun Salutations.  You should be warmed up first.

In this practice we will be moving back and forth between Downward Dog and a plank in several variations.  If you would like even more of a challenge for your core, repeat the sequence once, only when I say to bring the knee to the outside (spider planks), try crossing the knee underneath toward your opposite elbow.  This will challenge the abs from all angles, hitting them extra hard for an extra challenge.  Even if you choose not to repeat it, this sequence will work the core in various ways, moving the spine through a great range of motion.  Unlike crunches, which train the abdominals to pull the spine forward, these exercises will teach the spine to remain stable as the rest of the body moves away from it.

Here you go:

12 minute intermediate Yoga for Core routine