WHO Charlene Lowe, Erika Trice and John Berlinsky
of Yoga Works
WHERE Hawk Hill, Marin Headlands
WH Y Side planks (and planks) have gotten lots of accolades
lately from those interested in building their core muscle
group. The simple act of opening your chest and expanding
the rib cage increases lung capacity and floods your body with
vital oxygen. Not only does it strengthen the back and chest, but
since this is a balancing pose it automatically gets to your core,
increasing stomach strength and thereby potentially reducing
back strain. One study published in the Journal of Strength and
Conditioning found this weight-bearing (hence bone-building)
POSE
Vasisthasana (Side Plank)
TRANSLATION
Most richest pose; vasistha means
“most richest/wealthy,” asana means “pose.”
activity causes 100 percent activation of your six-pack muscles,
whereas crunches engage only 64 percent. While doing a side
plank on its own doesn’t burn as much fat as cardiovascular
exercise, because it is a strength training activity it is a more
efficient way of burning fat. Why? Because when you engage
in strength training, your metabolic rate increases even after
you’ve stopped exercising. And don’t forget the mindful benefits
— weight-bearing exercises are also reputed to relieve stress,
boost your mood and improve concentration.
HO W “A safe and easy way to enter into vasisthasana is by aligning the body in side plank pose, and then shifting the weight to
the chosen hand and foot. Place the left hand directly underneath the left shoulder and place the outer edge of your left foot
so it is rooted down into the earth and the energy rebounds
through the body upwards. Widen the shoulder blades away
from each other and release the shoulders away from the neck;
the pelvis should be in a neutral position and both sides of the
torso should be equal in length. Once aligned, you can lift the
top leg or place the foot on the thigh and externally rotate the
top hip to form a tree pose variation,” says Charlene Lowe.
