Downward dog: the foundational yoga pose. The pose that is supposed to “reset everything.” The pose that feels so good to practice when you wake up.
Or does it? Does downward facing dog feel good to your body?
It should feel good: when performed properly it lengthens the spine, activates the shoulder stabilizers and decompresses the neck.
If it doesn’t, let’s figure out why.
Let’s talk about abdominal strengthening! As I mentioned in my last post, core stabilization exercises are very popular these days. Strong abdominal muscles are valued for their function in protecting the back as well as for purely aesthetic reasons.
Unfortunately, it is confusing to figure out how to improve abdominal tone. There are so many opinions on which exercises are the best. Where do we begin?
Core stabilization, trunk stabilization, pelvic stabilization. What does it mean? Are you doing lots of “core stabilization” exercises? If so, you are not alone. It is a big deal these days. They are highly recommended for preventing back pain. But in order for them to work properly, we need to fine-tune our approach.