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Try This: Yogi crunches

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Have you ever seen a yogi with a paunch? Yeah, I thought not. Yoga moves, like these yogi crunches — a variation of the popular boat pose — challenge the core muscles, giving practitioners flat abs and a supported back.

The crunches are demonstrated by Tamal Dodge, co-founder of Santa Monica’s Yoga Collective and the yogi behind the “Element: Hatha & Flow Yoga for Beginners” DVD.

What it does

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This super-effective exercise will work your core muscles from top to bottom. It’s difficult — no question — but it gets results. Six-pack, here you come.

What to do

Start in a seated position with your knees bent and hands on the floor at your sides. Lean back slightly, bringing your knees into a tabletop position in front of you. Make sure your weight is over your sit bones. Inhale and straighten your legs and upper body as you lower down into a straight line with your arms at your sides, palms facing each other. Exhale and bring your knees back up to your chest at the same time you raise your upper body to meet it. If this is too difficult, you can modify the exercise by grasping your legs above your knees as you crunch.

How much

Start with 10 repetitions, and as you advance, work up to 50.

health@latimes.com

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