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Want to have a well-toned physique that will turn heads? Well then, building core strength is the key for you! Essentially, the core is the center of your body comprising your abs, back, chest and hips. Your core stabilizes and supports your body, allowing it to have a proper balance. A strong core provides you with good posture by minimizing the wear and tear of your spine. It improves the overall stability of your body, making daily activities like standing, walking and sitting much easier. Indeed, they go a long way in improving the quality of your life. However, when it comes to core strength, you don’t really need to rush to the gym to get toned core muscles. Yoga is one of the best kinds of exercise that can improve the strength of your abs and back while providing you with a toned and healthy body. That’s right! Incorporating core strengthening power Yoga poses in your regular fitness regimen can correct your posture, improve stability, eliminate back and neck pain as well as promote an overall healthier body. Ready to strengthen your core more effectively? Check out these 7 best Yoga poses to build a strong core from the inside out. Boat Pose (Navasana) Boat pose is one of the power Yoga poses that can build your core strength effectively. Known for strengthening both hip flexors and abdominal muscles, this classic Yoga pose enhances your stability and mobility. Apart from building your core strength, this pose improves your focus and mental strength. The Procedure: Sit on a mat with your legs extended in front of you. Draw the knees toward your chest. Straighten your spine, sit up tall and slowly lean back. Once your core strength is activated, lift your feet off the ground. After balancing on your sit bones, straighten your feet. Slowly straighten your arms. Hold to this position for 10 breaths. Plank Pose (Phalakasana) Plank is an absolute effective core tightening exercise that not only helps you to attain a strong core but also a toned body. Plank is also a popular pose in many other fitness programs, apart from Yoga. Whether you are looking for a flat tummy or strong shoulders, plank is the pose that can help you to strengthen all the major muscles of your body and provide you with an impressive posture. The Procedure: Be in a tabletop position. Keep your hands under your shoulders and the knees under your hips. Spread your fingers wide and extend shoulders by pressing hands into the ground. Push the ground with your toes and gradually lift the knees. From the shoulder to heels, create a straight line. Don’t let your hips sag low or high. Hold onto the position for 10 breaths. Tree Pose (Vriksasana) The Tree pose is one of the most effective yet simple Yoga poses that can improve your overall posture by balancing all of your core muscles. Apart from helping with your balance and endurance, it enhances your neuromuscular coordination. It is a highly effective exercise for people suffering from sciatica. The Procedure: Stand straight in the Mountain pose, keeping your palms pressed together at your heart. Concentrate onto a non-moving point. Shift your weight to one of your legs and start raising the other off the floor. Align the sole of the second foot inside the thigh of the first leg. Stretch your arms straight with palms pressed together. Triangle Pose (Trikosana) The Triangle pose or Trikosana is one of the best Yoga poses that can help a lot with your stability and endurance by activating your core muscles. This stretching exercise reduces the stiffness of your spine and increases flexibility. Incorporating this Yoga in your daily fitness regimen can reduce your stress to a great extent. The Procedure: Stand straight and keep your legs apart. The distance between your feet should be little more than the length of your shoulder. Take a deep breath and raise the right hand straight. The arm should be raised above your head and parallel to the right ear. Breathe out and bend to your left (torso at the waist). Slide down your left arm along the left leg and let the fingers touch your ankle. Your right hand should remain horizontal as your head. Hold onto the position for 30 seconds. Again breathe in and stand straight. Repeat it on the other side. Warrior Pose I (Virabhadrasana I) The Warrior pose or Virabhadrasana is a robust yoga posture that can improve your core strength and body balance. Known to be an excellent exercise to rejuvenate both your body and mind, this Yoga pose manifests higher energy levels and builds stamina. Whether it’s about strengthening your spine and gluteus or reducing pain and experiencing a great mental state, the Warrior pose is one of those power Yoga poses that can improve your overall fitness. The Procedure: Stand straight. Step the right foot forward (about 4 feet). Gradually bend your right knee. Keep the other leg straight behind, let the left heel turn 45 degrees. Pressing your palm together, raise your arms above your head. Ensure that the arms are straight and shoulders are pressed downwards. Squeezing both the shoulder blades downward, lift your chin and gaze at your hands. Hold it for 30-45 seconds and then relax yourself. Repeat on the other side. Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana) Bhujangasana or Cobra pose is a back-bending exercise that tones the buttocks, flattens your tummy, strengthens your core muscles, improves reproductive health and whatnot. This Yoga pose is easy to practice and known for strengthening your arms, shoulders and spine while stimulating organs in the abdomen and improving digestion. It soothes sciatica and reduces the stiffness of your lower back. By improving blood circulation, Bhujangasana energizes your mood and relieves stress and fatigue. The Procedure: Lie flat on your stomach. Stretch both your legs straight with your toes. Push the floor with your palms. Make sure you place palms under your shoulders. Bring both the elbows close to your body. Lift your chest off the floor by taking a deep breath, pressing the palms and straightening your arms. While lifting the chest, ensure to press your thighs and toes firmly into the floor. Lift up till your navel. Firm your buttoocks and push your navel downwards Keep both the shoulder blades strong and open up your chest. Hold the pose for 30 seconds. Release with an exhalation. Camel Pose (Ustrasana) The Camel pose is one of the best Yoga poses that can strengthen your core muscles while making your spinal column flexible and stable. Though it can be challenging for beginners to practise this pose, with time it makes your body flexible and you can complete this pose with ease. The Camel pose stretches the entire front of your body and strengthens your abdomen, chest and throat. For people looking to improve their posture, this is a great exercise that can help tone the abdomen, pelvis and neck muscles. Incorporating this Yoga in your daily fitness routine can reduce your lower back pain and improve the health of your abdominal organs. The Procedure: Kneel down and keep your knees hip-distance apart. Ensure that your feet are resting on the floor. Fingers pointing downward, place your hands on your hips. Gradually lean back and let your hands reach your heels. Open your shoulders and push both your shoulder blades while hanging your head backward. Hold the pose for 15-30 seconds. While dismounting, make sure you bring your head up first. A strong core not only gives you an improved posture and good spinal health but also enhances your overall health. Core strengthening power Yoga poses strengthen and tone your core muscles and promote the fat-burning process. Practicing such Yoga exercises makes it easier for you to attain your fitness goal and carry out your daily activities with ease. So, if you want to give your core an effective workout, do include the above-mentioned Yoga poses in your fitness regimen. The results will be life-transforming for sure!

While indulging in strenuous activities is an absolute NO in the months of pregnancy, keeping your body fit through a doctor-prescribed fitness regime is extremely important. It helps keep bothersome symptoms of pregnancy like pregnancy back pain, fatigue, swelling, bloating and constipation at bay.  Yoga is a meditative form backed by an exercise where certain body positions and breaths are utilized to aid the connection between body and mind. Prenatal yoga emphasizes positions distinctly designed to suit the fitness needs of a pregnant woman’s body. Benefits of Prenatal Yoga Like several other kinds of preparation classes for childbirth, prenatal yoga poses to be a multi-layered approach to regular exercise that inspires metal centring, focused breathing and stretching. According to research, prenatal yoga has several benefits, not just for women who are pregnant, but for their babies as well. Moreover, it is also quite safe. Some of the most amazing benefits of prenatal yoga are: Improved quality of sleep Decreased lower back pain during pregnancy Increased endurance and flexibility of muscles required for childbirth Reduced anxiety and stress Increased muscle strength Reduced headaches, breath shortness, and nausea Practicing prenatal yoga might also help you come across and bond with many other pregnant women and prepare for your parenthood experience together. When is The Best Time to Start Practicing Prenatal Yoga? If you are a novice in the field of practicing yoga, it is best advised that you do not embark on this new physical journey during your first trimester. In fact, it is quite normal for you to not have the desire of getting into any physical activity during the initial trimester. Exhaustion and nausea are never great motivators to drag yourself to an early morning yoga class . Having said that, yoga is more than a mere physical practice. Thus, there are other forms of practices that you can perform during your first trimester. Practicing pranayama and meditation is indeed great during this period. You can indulge in them irrespective of whether you have or have not practiced yoga earlier. So, if you are looking forward to starting prenatal yoga from the first trimester, to rid yourself of pregnancy hip pain and other symptoms, try some meditation and light breathwork at home. 10 minutes of each are enough to help you get benefits. If you want to shift your yoga practice to a professional studio, it would be best to wait out the first trimester. Your body is already functioning differently to build a human inside. It is well off without any extra burden. Yoga has amazing benefits on the body. However, during pregnancy, you need to be extra careful and opt for practices that best suit your body then. Avoid difficult poses that press into your belly or cause pain. As you step into this wonderful experience of parenthood, give your body the comfort it needs.