The body’s core is the torso, consisting primarily of the abdominal and back muscles. A strong and stable body core is very important. Not only does core strength give the body greater stability and better balance, it helps protect the body’s internal organs. This is important not just for sportspersons and athletes, but also for you and me as we go about our daily activities – standing for longer periods, lifting things, performing tasks that require stamina and so on.
Experts also recommend building core strength to try and reduce chances of back pain and other injuries. I find that a stronger core also means a flatter stomach; something that many of my students seem to desire!
How yoga builds core strength
Many yoga aasans that function as core exercises are those that engage and workout the abs, back muscles, hips and pelvis. In fact, yoga is core-centric and helps to lengthen and strengthen the muscles and stabilize the body. Yoga helps us become more aware of our bodies as they occupy space. This awareness makes us more conscious of our posture; making us sit erect, stand with our shoulders back, our spine straight and our necks properly positioned.
Yoga also helps in building core strength when you perform your yoga aasans in the correct manner with the limbs in the right position and while breathing correctly. Holding positions for longer will also strengthen the core. Unlike weight lifting, which tends to bulk up and build bigger muscles, yoga builds lean muscle which hugs the bones and defines the body. This lean muscle retains flexibility and also helps to strengthen the core in a way that big biceps or bulging thighs may not be able to.
Yoga poses to help build the core
It does not have to take too long; about 10 or 15 minutes of your yoga routine can be devoted to strengthening your core. The aasans that specifically do this are:
Utkatasan – The squat or the chair pose requires you to stretch your arms up over your head and to bend the legs at the knees with the thighs parallel to the ground; rather as if you were sitting on an imaginary chair.
Naukasan – or the boat pose requires you to sit on your yoga mat with the torso and the legs making a V shape, with the toes pointing upward and the hands stretched out on either side of the knees. Modify this pose slightly to bend he knees and bring them closer to the torso. Further modify this to assume the low boat position where only the shoulders, head and legs are off the ground while most of the torso and the buttocks are resting on the floor.
Makarasan – or the dolphin pose may seem simple but it is important to assume the correct position while performing this. Your feet are flat on the ground and your elbows rest on the ground while your pelvis is elevated in a way that your whole body forms an A-shape.
Virbhadrasan – The warrior pose requires one leg to be bent at the knee and the other stretched out behind with the hands above the head with the palms joined. Its variation requires one leg to remain on the ground with the other stretched out in the air behind and forming a straight line with the torso; arms stretched out in front.
Urdhamukha Shvanasan – Or upward facing dog pose which rests the pelvis and legs on the ground, the torso curved up with the palms flat on the ground is also great.
Various versions of the plank and the sideways plank are also excellent for the core. You will feel the great workout that your core is getting with each of these. Over time, regularly doing these aasans will help in many ways that you will slowly come to realize!