Are you planning on lifting suitcases anytime soon? Shoveling snow? Hauling a Christmas tree? If your core muscles are not in a habit of working together, any type of lifting, pulling, or swinging activity will end up loading your lower back. To avoid stressing your back, you need to regularly train your core muscles to work together and redistribute the load and pressure throughout your trunk.

This yoga practice includes some simple movements that stabilize your core and make your core muscles work together. Stable and integrated core musculature helps to protect your lower back and take the load off your spine in all your daily tasks. You can enhance those movements by intentionally hugging your waist in from the front, sides, and back when you hold the pose.