Hi, I'm Tara Stiles, and today on the Yoga Solution, I'm gonna show you a great routine
that you can do in five minutes to strengthen your core.
Let's get started.
So we'll start in a nice Boat Pose here.
So, working on the core a little bit here -- warming up, just lift the legs right up.
Grab ahold -- you can have them bent or straight, however you can keep a nice, long spine.
You can hold on, not hold on.
Again, however you can breathe easy.
So just staying here, breathing for a few long deep breathes.
So we'll lower halfway down here.
So feet forward, head and shoulders back, and then 10 little lift and lowers -- 1, 2,
3.
Just nice and smooth with your breath -- 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10.
And then just come all the way back up here.
Grab ahold of the shins here.
Draw your shoulders and your back, nice long, long spine here.
So we'll do 10 continuous here, down and up here, nice and smooth all the way down, and
then all the way up for 1 -- 9 more of these here.
Half way down and up for 2.
And, again here, halfway down and 3.
And, again, halfway down and 4.
And almost there, down and 5.
Halfway down and 6.
Just stay really relaxed here as you can, and down.
And 7, breathe a lot.
Down and 8.
Last one here, all the way down, and then all the way up for 9 -- I'm sorry, one more
-- all the way down.
And all the way up here, just grab ahold, nice long, long spine here.
Relax your shoulders.
And, again, we'll lower halfway down.
This time, up to you, either fingertips forward or stretch back behind you, nice long back
here.
And then gently hug your knees into your chest, give yourself a good squeeze.
So keeping ahold of your right shin here, lift your left leg all the way out in front
of you here, and just keep your head and shoulders lifted a bit up off of the ground, just holding
and breathing.
And then we'll switch sides here.
So, again, holding, breathing.
And, again, switch sides here, nice and smooth and easy.
And, again, switch sides again.
And then we'll just keep switching here a few times in your own, breathing nice and
smooth and easy.
Go for 10 of these -- 3, 4, 5.
If you're head and neck is tensing up here, you can always bring the hands behind you
-- 6, 7, 8.
Couple more -- 9, 10.
And keep your right knee in here, bring your left elbow all the way across, really twisting
over.
And then we'll swap sides here, right elbow all the way across, holding.
And then, again, all the way across and holding.
And one more like that, nice and slow all the way across and holding.
And then 10 here a little bit swifter pace -- 1, 2.
Just really easy, really crossing all the way outside -- 3, 4, 5.
Breathe a lot -- 6, 7, 8.
Two more -- 9 and then 10 here.
And then you're gonna hug your knees in and let your head and neck relax here.
Rock a little side to side.
And then stretch your legs straight upward here, we're gonna lower and lift here a few
times.
So gently reach your heels down toward the front of you, and then all the way up for
1 here.
We'll go for 9 more of these here.
So all the way down.
And up for 2.
Try to keep your whole lower back pressing into the ground here.
All the way down, nice and smooth.
And 3.
And all the way down.
Keep breathing a lot.
And 4.
And all the way down.
And 5.
Halfway there, nice and smooth.
Down and 6.
If this hurts your lower back at all, don't lower your legs as far -- you don't have to
lower them all the way down.
And 7.
You can always bend your knees as well.
Down and 8.
Two more of these here.
And down and 9.
Last one like this here.
All the way down.
This time, once you're up here, you're just gonna start to round your back all the way
up and over into a nice Plow Pose here.
Relax your whole neck.
If this doesn't feel good, just roll down and relax.
Just breathe a lot here.
Nice opener for your spine.
And then real gently here, roll all the way down.
And then one more of these here, reaching your heels down toward the front of you, and
then all the way up.
And then, again, nice massage on your spine all the way up and over, and then all the
way up back to your middle here.
And, again, just hug your knees into your chest, give yourself a nice squeeze, rock
a little side to side.
And when you're ready, gently bring yourself all the way back up.
And great job.
So there you have it: A great five minute routine that you can do anytime to strengthen
your core.
I'm Tara Stiles, and I'll see you next time on the Yoga Solution.