Building a Stronger Core with Yoga

Having a strong core is essential for our back and spine health. It helps us to keep a straight posture and helps to alleviate and prevent back pains. A strong core is also important for women before and during pregnancy as it helps to build a foundation, and decreases the tension in the back which enables them to move pain free throughout pregnancy. In addition, having a strong core keeps the muscles around the spine strong, which supports our body. The following article will share 5 yoga poses that are great for strengthening the core muscles. It is recommended to practice these core strengthening poses on a regular basis. The more you practice these, the easier they will become, and the stronger your core will be.

5 Yoga Poses for a Strong Core

Dolphin Plank Pose – Makara Adho Mukha Svanasana

Woman holding a strong Dolphin Plank pose on her forearms.

Dolphin plank is a strengthening exercise and is great to practice on a regular (ideally daily) basis. It helps to build strong core muscles, and it strengthens the glutes, thighs, shoulders, arms, and back. It is recommended to stay in this pose for 1 min- 3 min (take breaks if necessary).

How to Get into this Pose:

  1. Start in a table top position
  2. Lower your forearms on the ground (keep them at shoulder distance)
  3. Extend both legs back, keeping your toes curled and heels stacked right on top of your toes.
  4. Engage your core, glutes, thighs, and shoulders. Try to keep your back as straight as you can.
  5. Move your shoulders away from your ears, and keeping your head aligned with your spine.
  6. Stay here for 1-3 min (with breaks if necessary).
  7. To come out of this pose, simply drop your knees on the ground first.
  8. Bring yourself to child’s pose and stay in this pose for a few deep breaths to recover.

Modifications:

  • Keep your knees on the mat while shifting your weight forward and lowering onto your forearms.
  • Extend one leg out at a time, while keep the second knee on the mat

Benefits of this Pose:

  • Strengthens the arms, legs, chest, lower back, and core muscles.
  • Makes the muscles around the spine stronger
  • Improves posture and builds strength through resistance.

Side Plank – Vasisthasana

Woman balancing in a Side Plank on her forearm, strengthening the obliques.

Side plank is a variation of dolphin plank, and is another great exercise to help you build a strong core and strengthen the oblique muscles. Once you get into this pose and find your variation, try to stay there for 1-3 minutes as well (with breaks if necessary). The more you practice this exercise, the stronger your body will become and it will make it easier for you to stay in this pose for longer periods of time.

How to Get into this Pose:

  1. Start in a table top position
  2. Lower your forearms on the ground (keep them at shoulder distance)
  3. Extend both legs back, keeping your toes curled and heels stacked right on top of your toes.
  4. Engage your core, glutes, thighs, and shoulders. Try to keep your back as straight as you can.
  5. Move your shoulders away from your ears, and keeping your head aligned with your spine.
  6. Begin to shift your weight to your right, and bring your right elbow to the center and parallel to the front of your mat.
  7. Rotate your feet to the outer edge of your mat (on your right foot), and stack your feet on top of each other.
  8. Keep your head aligned with the spine, and bring your gaze down or in front of you.
  9. Make sure your core and buttocks are engaged
  10. Stay in this position for 1-3 min.
  11. Return back to center, and repeat the same steps on the opposite side.

Modifications:

Bring your left leg in front of you, with the palm of the foot touching the ground (if you are on your right elbow). This will give you a more stable foundation and help with balance

Benefits of this Pose:

  • Protects and strengthens your spine
  • Strengthens the core, arms, legs, and oblique muscles
  • Improve your balance, and posture.

Upward Facing Dog – Urdhva Mukha Shvanasana

Woman in a strong Upward-Facing Dog pose, engaging the core.

How to get into this Pose:

  1. Start in a table top position.
  2. Shift your weight forward and lower onto your belly.
  3. Bring your hands close to your ribcage, with your finger tips facing forward. Keep both of your feet grounded into the mat (the tops of your feet facing touching the ground).
  4. Take a deep inhale, press into your palms and lift your chest up.
  5. Keep your shoulders relaxing down and away from the ears and facing forward.
  6. Keep squeezing the elbows in towards your body, and keep a slight bend in the elbows (so that you are not locking them in).
  7. Stay here for 8-10 deep breaths through the nose. To come out slowly lower your chest on the ground. Bring yourself into child’s pose for a few breaths as a counter pose.

Modifications:

  • In Cobra pose, keep your thighs on the ground. To get into upward dog, press firmly into the mat and lift your thighs off the ground.
  • Place a blanket under your pelvic for extra support and cushion

Benefits of this Pose:

  • Strengthens the arms, wrists and spine
  • Stimulates organs and promotes better digestion
  • Stretches spine and chest and improves posture
  • Helps to relieve anxiety, fatigue and sciatica pain

Boat Pose- Navasana

Woman holding a challenging Boat Pose to strengthen the core.

Boat pose is a challenging and strengthening pose. It helps to stabilize the core muscles and hence makes them stronger. There are many variations to this pose, and hence can accommodate yoga practitioners of all levels. The picture above shows a more advanced variation, but be sure to check out the modification section below to see what other variations are available.

How to get into this Pose:

  1. Start in a seated position with your feet on the mat.
  2. Place the palms of your hands behind you, with the finger tips facing forward.
  3. Elevate your knees to be parallel to the mat, while keeping your hands still on the ground for extra support.
  4. Once you’ve stabilized in this position, bring your arms parallel to your legs.
  5. If you can go a step further, engage the core and straighten out your legs.
  6. Keep the feet close to one another, your back straight, core engaged and shoulders away from the ears.
  7. Stay here for 8-10 breaths (or as long as you can), and slowly release the legs and hands down.

Modifications:

  • Keep your palms on the ground for extra support
  • Bend your knees (do not straighten them)
  • Bring your toes to lightly touch the ground, if you are unable to lift your legs off the ground.

Benefits of this Pose:

  • Strengthens and stabilizes the core muscles
  • Stimulates internal organs
  • Relieves stress and anxiety
  • Improves digestion
  • Increases energy

One Legged Bridge Pose- Eka Pada Setu Bandha Sarvangasana

Woman holding a One-Legged Bridge Pose, engaging the core and glutes.

This modified bridge pose is a strengthening pose that helps to tighten the core, thighs and glute muscles. It is a more advanced pose, and if you find yourself unable to get into this pose at this stage of your yoga practice, please stay in a traditional bridge pose, with both feet planted into the ground. Once you become comfortable with your bridge pose, feel free to challenge yourself by lifting one leg to the ceiling.

How to Get into this Pose:

  1. Start on your back, with the soles of your feet on the floor.
  2. Bring the back of your heels as close to your hips as possible, so you can touch the back of your heels with your finger tips
  3. Keep your palms on the floor beside you facing down. Take a deep inhale and while pressing your feet and palms into the mat, lift your hips up.
  4. Bring the shoulder blades closer to one another, and interlace your fingers under your back if possible.
  5. Keep pressing into your feet, and lifting the hips up.
  6. Stay here if you are only able to do bridge pose at this stage of your practice
  7. If you are going a step further (as shown in the picture), tighten your core muscles, and with control, lift one leg towards the ceiling.
  8. Stay here for 5-8 deep breaths through the nose, while engaging your core and leg muscles.
  9. Slowly release the leg down and switch your feet around.

Modifications:

  • Place a block under your sacrum for supported bridge pose
  • Set up your mat near a wall, and rest your lifted leg on the wall for extra support if needed.
  • Stay in traditional bridge pose with both feet planted on the mat.

Benefits of this Pose:

  • Stretches and opens the chest, heart, shoulders, neck, spine and hip flexors.
  • Strengthens the core, glutes, and legs
  • Stimulates abdominal organs
  • Improves digestion and regulates metabolism

Free Online Yoga Class for Building a Strong Core

Be sure to check out our Yoga for abs and Core class online! It’s absolutely free, and will help you to build stronger core muscles. We also have a full playlist dedicated to Fitness yoga on our YouTube channel. Feel free to subscribe to channel, so you know when we upload new classes! P.s if you are interested in reading more yoga related articles, check out our Wake Up Yoga blog post!

I hope you find this article helpful!

With Love,

Yana Thompson