Craving a Core Challenge? Try These Strengthening Yoga Poses.

"It's become a universal joke that core strengthening exercises are sorta the worst. Cue the shiver down your spine when the yoga teacher says, "We're going to focus on core strength today!" The humor lies, in part, in the notion that core work is challenging in a muscle-shaking, sweat-dripping, counting-the-seconds-until-it's-over kind of way. But perhaps another reason core work is famously dreaded is because so many of us"

"Wondering how to break this vicious cycle? There are creative ways to incorporate core strength-building into a yoga sequence that don't involve "doing a bunch of crunches in a row," according to longtime yoga teachers yoga teachers Bradshaw Wish and Giana Gambino of C.A.Y.A. Yoga School. "Sometimes core work is strongest when students don't realize they're doing it." 4 Creative Core Strength Exercises to Do in Yoga"

"How to: Lie on your back with your knees stacked over your hips and your shins parallel to the mat in Reverse Tabletop. Place a block between your thighs and gently squeeze. Reach your arms toward the wall in front of you as you lift your head, neck, and shoulders off the mat. Draw your knees slightly toward your chest. Breathe here."

Many people dread core-strengthening because the exercises feel intense and repetitive. Repeating the same moves—Plank, Bird Dog, Side Plank, Boat Pose—makes core work stale and discouraging. Creative, dynamic variations can build core strength without feeling like endless crunches. Teachers recommend integrating movements that build pelvic stability, inner-thigh strength, endurance, and motor control. Practicing exercises such as reverse tabletop with a block squeeze and low-boat hovers consistently improves posture, balance, coordination, and muscle control on and off the mat. Concealed or varied core work can make training more engaging and sustainable.

Read at Yoga Journal