The Ultimate Core Exercise

Every so often when I read a yoga magazine, I shake my head, sigh a little, and say, Oh my. I find it disheartening that despite the wealth of yoga-related anatomy available today, articles are being published that have misleading intentions and that provide misleading information.

In the August issue of Yoga Journal, there is a subheading on the front cover that declares The Ultimate Pose to Build Core Strength. Being the initial publisher of Yoga for the Core, by Suzette OByrne, and being interested in anything core whether it refers to physical anatomy, breath, subtle energy flow, or bandhas I was quite excited as I opened the pages to look for the article. And then . . . disappointment.

The article highlighted Urdhva Prasarita Padasana (Raised Stretched-Out Foot Pose), UPP, as the ultimate pose to build core strength. It described the pose as

having a well deserved reputation as an abdominal strengthener.
\r This simple movement strengthens a muscle that passes through the very core of your body, which aids your posture, your movement, and . . . even the way you breathe.
\r UPPs real benefit is to a pair of deeper abdominal muscles, the psoas, . . . deemed one of the most significant muscles in the body.

My disappointment stems from one primary point. Core stability is a hot topic in all things movement yoga, fitness, athletics, and rehabilitation. People who are interested in learning more about the core will be highly attracted to this article. The problem, though, is the article didnt speak about the core. Sure, it spoke about a muscle that passes through the core, but it left out transversus abdominis, multifidus, the pelvic floor, and hip adductors. The focus of this article was on the psoas.

To be clear, I love the psoas it is a powerful muscle from all sorts of angles. From a purely anatomical place its importance manifests broadly. The psoas
\r is the only muscle that connects the spine to the leg,
\r is closely connected to the adrenal glands and is impacted by the stress response,
\r interweaves with the crura of the diaphragm,
\r is vital in connecting the movement of T12 to the SI joints to the femurs during walking, and
\r contributes to posture.

However, its ability to do all of that relies on its relationship with the muscles described above in addition to balancing with the hip abductors and hip external rotators. If the editors of Yoga Journal took that into account, UPP wouldnt have made top billing.

To be able to perform UPP without cramping in the neck, holding the jaw, holding the breath, and gripping the butt, all the muscles I just mentioned need to be working well. If they arent, the yogi is going to suffer. And truthfully, in all my time teaching I have yet to see someone who could do this pose without proper abdominal contraction and without face tension, neck tension, or breath holding. Not so good for posture, breathing, and better movement.

Which begs the question . . . is it the ultimate core exercise?

When considering the ultimate core exercise, a teacher needs to understand how to build core strength safely and effectively.

Here is what I have found to work for the yoga teachers and yoga students I have taught:

- Get into the primary core muscles feel them, experience them.
\r - Think about the muscles as an interconnected web.
\r - Breathe easily while keeping the rest of your body at ease.
\r - Now move. Can you move easily, maintaining the above three points?

A primary feature of truly building core stability is this you know you have it if you feel light after doing the exercise. It is as if your spine has lengthened, and you experience lightness. You wont feel rigid; instead, you will float.

I love the following analogy: Having good core stability is much like a boat on water, where the body is the boat and the external stimulus is the water. Both (body and boat) are able to respond to the inevitable wobbles, turns, and shifts only when they are in balance. This balance enables you to move from fast to slow and slow to fast.

So what, then, is the ultimate pose to build core strength?

To determine that, we need to delve into the current research being shared amongst the core stabilizing experts around the world and relate it to the physical practice of yoga. Know that there are many great exercises, they just arent yoga poses. If we filter all the exercises so we focus solely on yoga asanas, the ultimate pose to build core strength is . . . drum roll, please . . .

Vasisthasana (Side Plank Pose).

Many yogis consider Vasisthasana an arm balance. It is, but in order to stay out of the wrist and to feel freedom in the shoulders, your core needs to be working well. Those are good signs to help you practice. And, if you have Yoga for the Core, review pages 5457. There is good instruction on moving from Plank to Side Plank in an effective and resilient way.

Happy exploring.

If you feel that someone would benefit from this, please pass it along.

All the best,
\r Susi

For the past 8 years, Susi Hately Aldous has designed customized yoga therapy programs for people with pain or injury. Her diverse background, which includes a BSc. Kinesiology, yoga certification from India and Canada, training in modern mind-body medicine, and practical experience as an exercise therapist and ergonomics consultant, provides a functional and common sense approach to her teaching. Her clients come from a variety of backgrounds and levels of fitness but what they share in common is what initially brings them to her classes. They initially come because the stress, injury, pain or fatigue they are suffering from is keeping them from attaining their goals and living life they want to live at home, work and play. Susi is also the author of Anatomy and Asana:Preventing Yoga Injuries and Yoga for the Desk Jockey. She lives in Calgary, Alberta

Yoga Can Enhance Your Exercise Program and Your Life
Yoga is an ancient form of expression in movement, and these days, more and more people incorporating it into their modern li...

And You Thought Yoga Was Just Stretching!
While on the way to spot a friend of mine at the local YMCA, he asked why I didnt just join the gym and I explained to him th...

How To Design Unique Logo
There are 7 types of logo:1. Typographic Logo which consist of word only e.g.: Sony, Panasonic, Toshiba2. Geometric Typogr...

Need Help with Yoga Tips for Starters?
One has to crawl first to walk.This fact is especially true in regards to keeping fit, as anyone who knows anything about fit...

How Yoga Will Enhance Your Abilities in Other Sports
The whole idea of using one form of exercise to enhance another is not new, but it is becoming more universal. Bicycling mag...

Balance Exercises for People with Arthritis
Patients with arthritis are often caught in a vicious cycle. They hurt. As a result they reduce their activity level which ...

Early Retirement - Two of the Sweetest Words Known To Humans
One of the ultimate achievements for most people is to be able to retire early and enjoy life while they still have some spun...

Yoga Kit - A Help For Better Yoga
There are different kinds of yoga kits which are very useful for people who are ardent yoga followers or for those who may fo...

Is Your Website Content Customer Centric?
It is the first thing you see when you go to any website and it is the #1 element in any SEO effort. It is website content. A...

What is Self Mastery? - Part 1
Self Mastery, alone, sounds like a selfish term; but if you cannot help yourself, you will have limited ability to help other...

Exercise to Stop Snoring
If you are fat, most likely you are to snore during your sleep. It has been shown that if you have weight issues, your airwa...

Exercise and Arthritis - How Anyone Can Relieve Their Pain By Exercising
Exercise is any activity that increases your heart rate above normal!Exercise is essential to relieve and cure arthritis. Mos...

Doctor… What About Exercise For Fibromyalgia?
The treatment of fibromyalgia (FM) involves a triple-pronged approach involving medication, cognitive behavioral therapy and ...

Yoga is the Perfect Exercise
Yoga is the perfect exercise! Anyone can do it, it is easy to learn, requires no specialized equipment, and it is easy on yo...

Improve Your Staffing Agencies Brand Identity
Lets take a look at what exactly is branding within the medical staffing Industry. Branding is a vital source of establishing...

Never Slow Down, Never Grow Old- Exercise Fights Arthritis
A recent study done by Kristiann Heesch from the University of Queensland in Australia showed that the more often older women...

How To Enjoy Your Trading Success
Trading discipline is a fast track to trading success. Disciplined, working strategies will statistically win in the long ru...

Stop Snoring: Exercise Your Right To Exercise!
If somebody told you that a few moments of physical activity would be the cure for your tireless struggle against snoring, yo...

Free Pilates Exercises Videos For All Ages
Pilates is the growing exercises that have become a fad during the 21st century. Ever since the 1970s and the aerobic phase t...

Yogic Truths
A Sanskrit word meaning yoking or union , yoga is one of the six orthodox systems (darshans) of Indian philosophy, with wides...