Core stability refers to the muscular control essential to stabilize the body during movement. Different core muscles play a part in core stability and activate to stabilize the lumbar spine (lower back where the spine curves inward towards the abdomen) and pelvis during movement. The movement could be running, jumping, swinging the golf club or simply bending forward to tie your shoe lace or reaching for a book on a high shelf. Yoga postures help strengthen the core muscles for stability and balance in the body.

Anatomy and functions of the core

Major core muscles include abdominal muscles, erector spinae and pelvic floor. Abdominal muscles include transverse abdominus, rectus abdominus, internal and external oblique which are located between the ribs and pelvis. Erector spinae are long muscles which extend from the lower back to the neck. Pelvic floor muscles include gluteus, hip abductors and hip flexors.

Core muscles help maintain a posture, prevent lower back pain, tension and injuries in the body when you play sports or perform any form of physical activity in your day to day life. These are responsible for all the bending and twisting movements. Core muscles protect your spine and internal organs. They are also used during labour and delivery.

Yoga for strong core and weight loss

There are several hundred postures in yoga which work on building core stability. Postures such as naukasana (boat pose) and variations, santolasana (plank pose), ek hastha santolansana (one arm plank) cause the abdominal and back muscles to contract and thus help in strengthening them. Dhanurasana (bow pose) causes contraction in the entire posterior chain from hamstrings to the neck, thus strengthening your gluteus and back muscles while it simultaneously stretches the anterior chain, running from your knees to your throat. Sethu bandhasana (bridge pose) helps strengthen your lower back and pelvic floor muscles through contractions while it stretches the hip flexes. However, these set of postures must be complemented with forward bends such as janusirasana (head to knee) which helps stretch your back, and spinal twists such as merudandasana (spine column pose) for a complete workout.

These postures also help in fat loss and body toning. Normally individuals find it difficult to loose fat around the mid-section. At Artistic Yoga, fat loss programs are designed keeping such factors in mind. Regular practice of postures mentioned above as well as sun salutations will help burn abdominal fat and build a strong core. Advanced yoga postures commonly known as the head stand, shoulder stand, scorpion pose, eight angle pose also require good core stability.

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