Yoga To ‘Warm Up’ Your Core

Does the thought of doing a full on abs workout fill you with utter dread? It does me! Funnily enough it’s not the actual abdominal area that I struggle with but my lower back. I find that ‘hard core’ abdominal exercises put pressure on my lower back and after a couple of sit ups or pull ups I just collapse to the mat.

This is another reason why I love yoga so much. Most, if not all yoga poses require us to engage our core and core strength and stability along with the use of breath gives us more freedom of movement.

On days when I don’t have the time for a full bells and whistles core session or my body isn’t really feeling up to it I do a quick 5 to 10-minute routine which activates my core muscles but doesn’t leave me passed out on the mat!

Starting on all fours with your hands out in front of you and your arms straight place your palms directly under your shoulders to maintain a neutral spine.

Inhale and drop your belly and roll your shoulders back into Cow Pose, keeping your gaze straight ahead. Exhale and press your palms into the floor and arch your back, dropping your tailbone and gazing towards your naval as you move into Cat Pose. Repeat this sequence for up to five breaths or for however long is comfortable for you.

Coming back to table top position with your wrists under your shoulders and your knees under your hips take your gaze down towards the mat and with a straight back inhale and lift your knees off the mat half an inch to a inch, hold, exhale and bring your knees back to the mat.

The tendency here is to lift your knees higher than you need to; your knees only need to ‘hover’ over the mat. Repeat this sequence for two or three breaths and then bring your knees down to the floor and back into child pose.

Bring your buttocks back so you’re sitting on the heels of your feet and big toes touching. Fold your torso over your thighs and rest your forehead on the floor in front of you. Stretch your arms out in front of you or rest them by your sides (wherever you feel comfortable) and stay here for a few breaths.

Coming back to tabletop inhale and bring your right knee to your nose in nose to knee pose. Exhale and extend your right leg out behind you and your left arm out in front of you, engaging your core muscles to maintain balance. Bring yourself back to centre and repeat on the other side. Repeat the sequence for a couple of breaths or longer if you want to.

When you’re ready bring yourself back to all fours and into child’s pose.