Can you get a strong core form Yoga?

“A sure way to develop what us Yogis call -

‘Inner Strength’

is to tone the abdominal region.”

If energy in the arms and shoulders are weak, a strong abdomen can give you an extra edge.   But If the abdomen is weak then look out because even the strongest arms and shoulders are likely to fail you.

The other reason to strengthen your core is to correct your posture.  If you want the long lean look and elegant stance then to work on your posture. 

The best way to improve your posture is to focus on exercises that strengthen your core -- the abdominal and low back muscles that connect to your spine and pelvis.

Some of these muscles move your torso by flexing, extending, or rotating your spine. Others stabilize your pelvis and spine in a natural, neutral position.

Why do I need a strong core?

Core exercises are an important part of a well-rounded fitness program. Aside from occasional situps and pushups, however, core exercises are often neglected.

Core exercises train the muscles in your pelvis, lower back, hips and abdomen to work in harmony. This leads to better balance and stability, whether on the playing field or in daily activities. In fact, most sports and other physical activities depend on stable core muscles.

As we age its so important to work on our core muscles.  One of the main functions of our core is to help with balance and stability. For adults over the age of forty, this is important in the prevention of falls and serious injury. Without a strong core, we rely on other muscles of the body, and doing this contributes to injuries and a reduction in functionality. It’s never too soon to begin working on this and, in fact, the earlier you start the better.

So do I just do crunches?

If you ask people what exercise you would do to strengthen the abdomen most people would say sit ups known as crunches. This is not a bad exercise to do if done correctly where you are not using your neck.  However chances are you are not doing them correctly and you don’t have the strengthen to move up and down so you end up using your back, not to mention if you already have a history of back problems it is likely to make it all a lot worse.

The muscles responsible for crunches and sit ups include the abdominal muscles but also the hip flexors. What often happens is we over use the hip flexors to help us move up and down and these muscles are often already over used.

Practicing yoga regularly will strengthen your entire body, while lengthening and stretching your core muscles. Yoga tones your whole body simultaneously.  Its unique in the way that you are often balancing twisting and strengthening all at the same time from one pose to another.

Core Program

So I have created a Core Program for you all. 

This is a Free Download for you. So get started right away. I can not stress how important it is to have a strong core to protect the rest of the body, particularly the back.

This program will teach you how to use your Stomach muscles correctly  and therefore stop using your back muscles that are already over used. 

Its a step by step guide with full instructions of how to get into the pose, hold the pose and move out of the pose.