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‘V’ is for very well-toned core muscles

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Karen Voight can be reached at kvoightla@aol.com.

Yoga and Pilates train your body from the inside out. Their moves strengthen your core muscles and encourage you to concentrate on how precisely you can perform each pose rather than how many reps you can do. To perform an exercise like this V-sit, you’ll need to use control instead of speed and momentum. Remember to keep your breathing calm and even.

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1 Begin by sitting upright on a mat or a padded surface. Bend your knees with your feet on the floor. Inhale, lift your chest and place both hands behind you, fingertips on the floor. Balancing on your fingertips, tilt back slightly over your buttock bones. Do not allow your upper back to round forward. Raise both feet off the mat, knees bent, with your shins parallel to the ceiling. Find your balance and move your hands to the backs of your knees. Focus on “scooping” your abdominals in toward your spine.

2 Release your hands from your legs, reaching them forward with your palms turned inward. Continue to keep your chest lifted as you slowly straighten both legs. Hold this position for three to five breaths. Be careful not to round your spine.

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-- Karen Voight

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