At my classes at the Australian School of Meditation and Yoga at Mermaid Beach and Burleigh Heads I don't do a heap of core strength work but recently a 75 year old friend, who has been coming to classes regularly for over six months now, was telling me how much his tennis game has improved since he stared yoga asana classes. He told me he credits it to a strengthening of his core from the yoga classes. Regular practice of yoga asanas really does work to enhance your strength.
This pose is such a good strengthener for the deep abdominal muscles so necessary in lower back health. You may find your torso sagging and your arm sinking into your shoulder, but you need to be very careful about this and lift up out of your shoulder joint. Engaging your side abdominal muscles (obliques) will support the shoulder joint nicely.
- Come into a Plank Pose with the body in a straight line from the heels up to the shoulders and into the crown of the head. (fig 1)
- Shift your weight onto your right hand and swivel so that your whole body is facing the left side of your mat. Your right leg is on top of your left leg.
- If you can, lift your right arm perpendicular to the floor (fig 2). Lift up out of your shoulder and engage your abdominal muscles and pelvic floor. Keep your trunk lifted and maintain the straight line of your body from your feet to your shoulders and head.
- Stay for 5 breaths or as long as you are comfortable, then return to the Plank Pose and repeat to the left.
- Rest in the Child Pose when finished.
- If you would like to work at an easier level keep your right knee on the floor with the foot behind you, but still keep lengthening through your whole body. (fig 3)
- For more stability you can work with your feet flat against a wall.
- For those with wrist problems this pose can be performed with the elbow bent and lower arm resting on the floor parallel to the end of your mat.
