Check out your secret weapon to a tighter tummy this summer!
I learned the “yoga block crunch” in Kate’s power Vinyasa class at Cura the other day. A day later, I felt like I lost a whole inch off my waist! As I’ve reignited my yoga practice, my abs and leg have both become so much firmer and stronger. Then this movement came along…It’s a killer, but in a good way.
The crunch is pretty technical, so pay attention. It won’t work unless you meticulously perform it properly every time.
The Setup:
- Lie flat on the floor and put your hands behind your head.
- Raise your legs straight up so they are perpendicular to the floor.
- Flex your feet and push towards the ceiling with the balls of your feet, not your heels.
- If this is too challenging, bend your knees at a 90 degree angle.
- Take a yoga block or rolled up towel and place it between your upper thighs.
- Squeeze. Hard!
The set up is challenging on it’s own. So if your core is weak, start off by seeing how long you can hold this position.
Adding Movement:
- Continue to squeeze the block; don’t let up on it as you move.
- Inhale deeply as you lift you tailbone off the ground barely an inch.
- Pull your elbows in around your face.
- Exhale using your core to push the air out as you raise your shoulder blades as far as you can off the ground.
- Hold at the top until you have exhaled all of the air and contracted your abs completely.
- Lower down to your starting position and repeat 15 times.
The key points to remember: squeeze the block, lift your shoulders up all the way, and pull your navel in as far as it will go.
Worked like a charm for my pooch, and I’m sure it will for yours too!
(Cura Yoga has two studios in Houston that have tons of great power yoga classes!)
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