Core is the central and most important part of anything. Without a firm core or a trunk, it would be hard to define the shape or structure of a body. While the trunk in a tree is responsible for holding its elements like branches and leaves and transportation of food, the ‘human counterpart’ holds a fabulous machinery called the internal organs inside the core. A strong core helps to keep our internal organs intact and healthy as well. These five yogasanas to strengthen your core muscles will help to tone your abs and increase the blood circulation in your internal organs and make your spinal column healthy and flexible.
Is It Really Crucial To Have Strong Core Muscles?
Strong core muscles make it easier to do most physical activities in our day-to-day life. From lifting to pushing and pulling motions, a strong core is also a core of a beautiful personality and a perfect posture. Strong core muscles are also important for sports persons and athletes.
On the other hand, weak core muscles can lead to fatigue, less endurance, injuries, poor posture, and lower back pain…
Which are the best Yogasanas to strengthen your core muscles?
Some Yogasanas, which stretch our middle body parts, work directly on the core muscles.
Most deep stretching yoga postures can strengthen your core muscles and some holding and balancing postures are also good to tone your core perfectly.
Common Signs Of A Weak Core
Your torso, abdominals, and lower back muscles combine to form the core of your body.
These core muscles are important for the actions like balancing, stretching and bending. The same muscles also support your posture when you stand up straight or sit down.
Here are some common signs that you might have a weak core:
Lower Back Pain
If you experience frequent pain in your lower back after prolonged standing or sitting in one posture, it might be because of the weak muscles of the core. The pain may vary from dull to very sharp pain in a specific area of the lower back.
Poor Posture
Do you often stand dropped and slouchy?
A stooping posture is a sure way to recognise the lack of core strength.
Poor Balance
It is very common to lose balance while walking, bending, or turning your head all of sudden. This is very common with aged people, but if taken care of properly from the beginning, this condition can be avoided for a much longer time. Because your core muscles are key to maintaining balance.
Shortness of Breath
If you get short of breath often, it can be due to a variety of health issues, one of which is a lack of core strength. The diaphragm is the internal muscle that separates the lungs and ribs from your digestive system and controls breathing. The rest of your outer core muscles help to support the diaphragm, making breathing easier.
That said, if you are slouching ( due to the weak core muscles) you might be breathing shallow!
Excessive Body Weakness
If you often feel excessive weakness, this could be an indication of your weak middle body. Your core is the center of your muscular system, it does affect the overall resilience of your body.
5 Yogasanas To Strengthen Your Core Muscles
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Now unroll your yoga mat and start with a beautiful yoga posture- Mountain Pose.
- Stand on your feet grounded firmly on your Yoga Mat in Mountain Pose.
- Inhale deeply and exhale very slowly.
- Inhale once again to raise your hands, exhale to fold from the crease of your hips in Uttanasana.
Imbalances and fallings shouldn’t deter you from trying an advanced posture.
Natarajasana
- Getting into this yoga pose called the Natarajasana or Dancer’s Pose requires a strong core to balance the body on one leg while the other leg is lifted and bent from the knee.
- The same leg is pulled behind the body with the hand drawing the foot towards the head. The other arm is also lifted at the shoulder level to reach up, fingers in Gyan mudra, and your core leaning forward.
- Apart from strengthening your core, this posture also works well as a heart opener yoga posture.
- You can start from Natarajasana to get an idea of how stable you could be in a balancing posture.
When you try to get into Natarajasana you come to know about the strengths and weaknesses in your body.
Vrikshasana
- To get into this beautiful posture, Vrikshasana, place the sole of your feet above the knee of the other feet.
- Press both the feet into each other to get a nice balancing point. Keep your gaze fixed at one point.
Tree pose strengthens Ankles, Thighs, Calves, Vertebral column and Stretches Groin, Thighs, Shoulders, Thorax
Ushtrasana
- Sit on your knees with knees, hips, and shoulders making a straight line (hips-knees-shoulders stacked).
- Inhale and let your ‘right hand’ reach to hold your ‘right ankle’.
- Repeat the same on your left side, with your left hand and left ankle.
- Continue with deep breathing and make sure the same is not strained.
P.S.-
Yoga blocks make it quite easier to do your first Ustrasana.
Want a complete Ustrasana tutorial? Learn here how to do Ustrasana and its benefits.
“This yoga posture Ustrasana or camel pose is also good to improve your digestion. Regular practice of this asana is known to give you strong and toned core muscles and help alleviate thyroid issues and related hormonal problems”.
Make sure you have taken two or three rounds of Sun Salutations or your body is warm enough before doing this intense backbend.
Supta Vajrasana (Reclined Thunderbolt Pose)
- Sit in Vajrasana with heels pointing upwards and big toes touching each other.
- The body is upright, hands rest on the thighs.
- Breathe normally.
- Place the palms on the floor beside the buttocks
- Bend the elbows and slowly lean the body back until the elbows rest on the floor.
- Lower the head backward until the top of the head touches the floor. Bring palms together in front of the chest and hold the posture.
- Breathing is relaxed and slightly deeper than normal, inhaling through the nose and exhaling through the mouth.
- Using your elbows, slowly return to the starting position.
“Chest opener yoga postures like Supta Vajrasana or reclined thunderbolt work on strengthening your core muscles and increasing flexibility of the spine and hips and stretching the thigh muscles. This posture strengthens the lungs and helps treat asthma and bronchitis”.
Contraindications Of Supta Vajrasana
- Pregnant women must avoid practicing Supta Vajrasana.
- To release the pose, never straighten the legs first. …
- You shouldn’t practice this Posture if suffering from Sciatica, neck and knee problems, spine ailments, slipped disc.
Dhanurasana
- Come on your belly.
- With an inhale, bend your knees.
- Grab both the ankles with your hands.
- With an inhale, lift your ribcage and Shoulders away from your mat, and flex out your feet strongly to come into dhanurasana.
- Apart from firming your core, Dhanurasana or bow pose helps relieve back pain. It stretches your abdomen, chest, shoulders, front of your hips (hip flexors), and thighs (quadriceps).
Bow Pose also strengthens your back muscles, the back of your thighs, and buttocks (glutes)
Don’t forget to rest in the child’s pose.
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Wrapping Up- Yogasanas To Strengthen Your Core Muscles
There are many yoga asanas to strengthen your core muscles. Including only three to four of them in your daily yoga practice will bring a substantial change in your core strength.
An intense practice to strengthen your core muscles involving these kinds of backbends and balancing postures should not be continued for more than 5 to 10 minutes in one go. I highly recommend resting in crocodile pose or Savasana.
Don’t forget to watch the video on YouTube, which is on the same topic- 5 Yogasanas To Strengthen Your Core Muscles| Backbends and Balancing Yoga Postures
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2 Comments
This article provides valuable information about the importance of a strong core and offers five yogasanas to strengthen it. These yogasanas include Mountain Pose, Natarajasana (Dancer’s Pose), Vrikshasana (Tree Pose), Ushtrasana (Camel Pose), and Supta Vajrasana (Reclined Thunderbolt Pose). Each pose is described with its benefits and contraindications. The article also mentions that practicing these backbends and balancing postures for 5 to 10 minutes in one go is recommended, followed by rest in Crocodile Pose or Savasana. For a more detailed response, feel free to ask specific questions about the yogasanas or their benefits.
Thanks Varatha for your kind words, keep coming back:-)