You can find Carissa on Instagram and her e-books “ Form & Alignment” and “ Banishing Back Pain” here.When hearing I’m a trainer - and sometimes even in an initial training consultation - people ask, “How can I get… ” followed by some oversimplified physical attribute. Currently, she teaches private 1-on-1 yoga classes ( online and in person) and creates personalised stretch and strength plans. She started practising yoga in 2016, and has been teaching since mid-2020. Instead of focusing purely on weight or fat loss, why not work towards building strength to be injury-free?Ĭarissa Wong is a 200h Certified Yoga Teacher who focuses on alignment, mobility, and strength. Remember: Life’s not just about how your body looks, but how your body feels and what it is capable of doing. Maintaining that flat back, bend your right elbow and left knee, bring them to touch. Try to form a straight line from your fingers to your toes. Avoid reaching too high as you don’t want to arch your back. Look down in between your index fingers as you reach your right hand straight out to the front and left leg to the back, about hip height. Try to keep a flat, neutral back and maintain this position throughout. Engage your core and draw your belly button to the back of your spine. How to do it: Start on all fours, making sure your knees are aligned with your hips and your palms are aligned with your shoulders. The straight-back variation of this pose takes away flexibility and momentum from the formula, making you rely on the strength and stability of your back and core in order to perform this exercise. This is a great way to work on your balance and coordination while warming up the body. Why you should do it: The bird-dog pose involves a cat-cow movement (hunching and arching of the back while you’re on all fours) while you extend one arm to the front and the opposite leg to the back. Hold for 20 to 60 seconds and repeat five times. Keep engaging your glutes, back, and core to pull yourself up towards the ceiling. Engage your fingers and pull away from your body to lift your stomach off the floor. (The closer you get to the front, the more challenging it will be.) Then, tuck in your tailbone, lift your lower belly up to your chest, and engage your core to lift your upper body up. You can either interlock your hands behind your back, bring them beside your body, reach them out to the side, or extend them straight out in front of you. However, don’t go farther than hip-width apart as that can cause compression in your lower back.) Point your toes and press your legs firmly into the ground. (The closer your feet are, the more challenging it will be. Bring your feet together or hip-width apart. How to do it: Lie face down on the ground. This is one of the best yoga poses for building lower back strength. It’s a modified superman pose where you only lift your upper body as your lower body stays on the ground, making you look like you’re doing an upward dog without using your arms for support. Why you should do it: If you want to level up your upward dog, try this. Hold for 30 to 60 seconds and repeat five times. Keep engaging your quads to lift your thighs off the ground. Keep your hands and shoulders aligned as you push your chest forward. Keep your shoulders down as you straighten your elbows. From here, roll your shoulders back, draw your shoulder blades down, and press through your hands and feet to push your body up. Next, squeeze your glutes, tuck in your tailbone, lift your lower belly up to your chest, and engage your core. You can bring your feet together or hip-width apart if your back is tight. Point your toes and press your feet firmly into the ground. How to do it: Lie face down on the ground and place your palms beside your shoulders while keeping your elbows close together. While that is an accurate description of the pose, the upward dog can also build spine and back strength if you engage all your muscles and hold the pose for a few breaths. Why you should do it: Many people use this pose to stretch their back, open their chest, and take a quick breather during a yoga flow class.
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