Putting your back into it...

Why Yoga for Core & Back Strength?

Yoga builds functional strength by combining static holds, dynamic movement, and deep awareness of posture and alignment. It engages not just surface muscles, but also deep stabilizing muscles that protect your spine, improve posture, and reduce the risk of injury—especially in your core and back.

✅ Promotes spinal alignment and healthy posture

✅ Enhances core stability for better balance and coordination

✅ Strengthens the entire back, from the upper traps to lower lumbar region

✅ Supports injury prevention and pain relief, especially for lower back issues

✅ Encourages mind-body connection to avoid compensating with the wrong muscles

🔹 Core-Strengthening Yoga Poses

• Plank Pose (Phalakasana)

  • Engages the entire core, shoulders, and arms.

  • Keep your body in a straight line, with wrists under shoulders.

• Side Plank (Vasisthasana)

  • Focuses on obliques and deep core stabilizers.

  • Can modify with one knee on the ground if needed.

• Boat Pose (Navasana)

  • Directly targets abdominal muscles.

  • Keep spine long and chest lifted; knees can be bent for a gentler variation.

• Forearm Plank

  • Challenges core stability with more focus on your lower abdominals.

  • Avoid letting hips sag.

• Tiger Pose (Vyaghrasana)

  • Works glutes, lower back, and deep core muscles.

  • From hands and knees, extend opposite arm and leg.

    
    

    🔹 Back-Strengthening Yoga Poses

• Locust Pose (Salabhasana)

  • Strengthens the entire posterior chain (lower back, glutes, hamstrings).

  • Keep neck in neutral alignment.

    

    This is reverse Salabhasana, which will burn the tummy muscles

• Bridge Pose (Setu Bandhasana)

  

  Excuse tbe missing head - make sure that you can move the head freely.

  • Strengthens the lower back, glutes, and supports spinal mobility.

  • Squeeze the inner thighs slightly to avoid overusing the outer hips.

• Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana)

  

  Keep the ears and the shoulders away from one another

  • Strengthens upper back and supports spinal extension.

  • Don’t over-arch—use your back, not your hands.

• Superman Pose (variation from Locust)

  • Arms and legs extended in front and behind you while lifting off the mat.

  • Targets upper and lower back along with glutes.

• Bird-Dog Pose

  • Core and back stabilizer.

  • From tabletop, extend one leg and opposite arm; maintain a flat back.

    
    

🔹 Bonus: Integrative Poses

• Chair Pose (Utkatasana)

  • Strengthens legs, back, and core simultaneously.

• Warrior III (Virabhadrasana III)

  • Requires core and back engagement to maintain balance.