Elcin Riza, co-owner and instructor of River Yoga, guides us on why the core is so crucial to full-body health.
Our bodies are like trees, with our core muscles being our trunk. While your core is often associated with abs, there is more to it. It is a network of muscles, including your spine, your hips, your pelvis and your internal organs. One way to work your core is through the yoga pose called cat/cow. Start on all fours, with your shoulders in line with your wrists, fingers spread out, hips in line with your knees and a neutral spine. As you inhale, drop your stomach to be like a cow with your head toward the sky. Then, as you exhale, your head comes down and your spine, hips and shoulders round — like a scared cat. “You just do a couple of rounds like that,” says Elcin Riza, co-owner and instructor of River Yoga. “It opens everything up and you just start to feel so good.”
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