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Did you know that the abdominal muscles are designed to protect the
lumbar spine against disk problems? It’s a paradox then, that in our
ab-obsessed culture, so many of us suffer from low back pain—and in
particular, disk herniation among the lowest vertebrae. You might think
that toning your abs would lead to fewer ber. When the spine is asked to bear not
back problems, but unfortunately, that is only the weight of the body but also any-
often not the case. Sit-ups and related exer- thing heavy that you’re carrying while
cises strengthen only one set of abdominal you bend and twist with this load, you
muscles, the rectus abdominis, which can imagine why these disks get injured.
have little to do with the health of your The most serious injury to the disk is her-
spine. Although most yoga postures niation—a painful condition in which the
The abdominal muscles are one of your only significant lines of defense against
wear on the lumbar disks. They offer protection in two ways: by limiting excessive
rotations of the lumbar spine and by controlling the tilt of the pelvis.
Asana photos: Jim Filipski / Guy Cali Assoc.; Abdominal and spine illustrations: 2005 Books of Discovery; Model: Luke Ketterhagen
don’t emphasize exercising the abdomi- gel-like inner core of the disk is squeezed
nals exclusively, a number of asanas work out as the disk ruptures, putting direct
the full set of your abdominals to sta- pressure on crucial nerves as they exit the
bilize and support your lumbar spinal cord.
spine, thus preventing Each of the three regions of the spine
disk problems and is defined by its distinctive curve: the lum-
other forms of bar spine curves inward, while the thoracic
lower back pain. spine curves outward—and then the cervi-
cal spine curves inward once again. The
THE STRUCTURE points of transition between these curves
OF THE SPINE of the spine are the most vulnerable to in-
A simple anatomy les- jury because they are the points of great-
son might be helpful here. est movement. The juncture between the
The spinal column is made up sacrum and the lumbar spine presents a
of 33 vertebrae, including 5 that special problem, because more rotation is
fuse to form the sacrum, and 4 that possible at this point than any other in the
form the tailbone (Fig. 1). The remain- lumbar spine.
ing 24 vertebrae are grouped in three Our postural habits can contribute to
regions: the 7 cervical vertebrae (C1– this problem. Take a moment to observe
C7), which begin at the base of the skull; your own way of sitting. Do you sit at the
the 12 thoracic vertebrae (T1–T12), to front edge of your desk chair and arch
which the ribs attach; and the 5 lumbar your back? Or do you slump back in your
vertebrae (L1–L5), in the small of the chair without supporting your lower
back, just above the sacrum (S1–S5). back? Do you place more weight on one
Each vertebra is cushioned by a disk that hip than on the other, or even tip to one
absorbs shock and keeps the spine lim- side and fold the other leg under you?
Atlas
▲
▲
Axis
7th Cervical
▲▲
1st Thoracic
Thoracic Vertebrae
12th Thoracic
▲▲
Lumbar Vertebrae
1st Lumbar
▲
5th Lumbar
▲
Sacrum
Tailbone
▲
AB(SOLUTE) THERAPY
The abdominals are one of your only sig-
nificant lines of defense against wear on
the lumbar disks. They offer protection
in two ways: by limiting excessive rota-
tion of the lumbar spine and by control-
ling the tilt of the pelvis and, thus, the
curve of the spine. But before you hit the
mat and start doing crunches, read on. >>
Doug Keller has a master’s degree in philosophy
from Fordham University. His yoga journey
includes 14 years of practicing in Siddha Yoga
ashrams, intensive training in the Iyengar and
Anusara methods, and nearly a decade of teaching
in the U.S. and abroad. Asana instruction, essays,
and other enlightening information is available on
his website: DoYoga.com.
on the rib cage, rounding the upper back they firm the lower belly and draw the
and creating tension in the shoulders, lower ribs toward the pit of the abdomen,
▲
Rectus
Abdominis upper back, and neck. This imbalance below the navel, as the spine bends for-
External
Obliques can compromise the action of the other ward. These muscles don’t affect the
abdominal muscles—the ones we need pelvic tilt in the way that the external
in order to maintain a healthy back. obliques do, but they provide support to
Believe it or not, the most important the sacrum; they also work in conjunc-
abdominal muscles for postural integrity tion with the external obliques in twist-
Fig. 2a: THE RECTUS ABDOMINIS does little are the obliques. The external obliques, ing actions.
to support and stabilize your spine. When overde- which provide the most protection The transversus abdominis is the
veloped, these muscles pull down on your rib cage, against the stressful rotation of the lum- deepest muscle, running horizontally
which rounds your upper back, creating tension in bar spine, are located on either side of the around the waist (Fig. 2d). Like a girdle,
your shoulders and neck. rectus abdominis. They attach to the it pulls in on the belly and waist on all
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sides, providing overall support. The THE RIGHT KIND OF SUPPORT curls, which work the rectus abdominis
transversus abdominis is activated when How, then, do you strengthen these mus- far more than the obliques and tighten
you pull your navel back toward the spine cles—and the external obliques in partic- the hip flexors. Because the external
or when you cough. ular? It’s not by doing sit-ups or even obliques prevent the pelvis from tilting
Fig. 2b: THE EXTERNAL OBLIQUES are the Fig. 2c: THE INTERNAL OBLIQUES firm Fig. 2d: THE TRANSVERSUS ABDOMINIS
most important abdominal muscles for postural your lower belly and bend your spine forward. is the deepest of the four sets of abdominal mus-
integrity because they support the vertebrae when When the spine is twisted, these muscles work cles. When contracted, they increase the arch of
the spine is twisted and tilt your pelvis posteriorly. in conjunction with your external obliques. your lower back and pull in your waist.
Fig. 3: ENGAGE THE EXTERNAL OBLIQUES and rectus abdo- Fig. 4: FOOT-ON-FLOOR SINGLE LEG LIFTS As you lower and lift your
minis by flattening your lower back to the ground when lowering your straight leg, keep your lower back pressed flat to the floor by firming your lower
legs to about 30 degrees from the floor. abdominals. If your lower back comes off the floor you’ve gone too far.
you’re tightening your hip flexors instead down as well. Extend your right leg out at
of your abs your neck will tighten as well). 45 degrees and lower it, keeping the lower
Extend your right leg at about 45 de- back and middle ribs grounded. Alternate
grees from the floor, keeping the big toe legs (Fig. 5).
and kneecap pointing straight up toward For a full expression of ardha navasana,
the ceiling. Lower your right leg only as far extend both legs straight up toward the
as you can while keeping your lower abdo- ceiling. First, alternate lowering the legs
men firm and your lower back pressed one at a time as in the previous exercises.
into the floor (Fig. 4). The weight of your If that feels okay, come into the full pose:
leg will pull at your pelvis; use your exter- lower both legs to about 30 degrees from
nal obliques to resist that pull. Work back the floor, with your big toe mounds touch-
and forth, alternating legs. Be sure not to ing, your inner heels apart, and your inner
take your leg down so far that you begin to thighs firm (Fig. 6a). Extend your arms
lose the firmness in the abdomen or allow forward and then curl your upper body
your lower back to arch. up, keeping your sacrum and mid-back
If that was easy, try lying on your back pressed into the floor from the firmness
with your thighs perpendicular to the floor. of your abdominals (Fig. 6b). Bend your
Bend your knees to 90 degrees, as if your knees, release your upper body to the floor,
feet were resting on a chair. Firm your and bring your legs back to vertical. After
lower belly again, pressing your lower back two to three repetitions, hug your knees
to the floor; press the backs of your ribs into your chest. >>
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are behind the knees. Lean back to your shoulders are back, then press
straighten your spine, bringing a small your thighs into your hands and start to
arch into your lower back (Fig. 7a). straighten your legs using the strength
Keep your head slightly forward. As you of your quadriceps (Fig. 7c). Don’t allow
rock back on the back edges of your sit your knees to turn out; by spiraling your
bones—but not so far that you come thighs inward, you will maintain the
onto your tailbone—your feet will rise strength of your lower back.
a few inches off the ground. Keep your To complete the pose, extend your
spine straight and steady. arms forward, parallel to both each other
Lift your feet until your shins are par- and to the floor. Draw your shoulders
allel to the floor (Fig. 7b). Pull with your straight back again to keep your chest open
hands against your thighs to keep your and lifted (Fig. 7d). The main work should
spine straight and your hip joints relatively be in your lower back and thighs, with
relaxed. Use your hands to spiral your some toning throughout the abdominals.
thighs inward so that they remain paral- In the full pose, your hip flexors (at your
lel, with the inner edges of your thighs hip creases) will be working as well, but if
firm: the support of these adductors will they begin to grip and cramp, it’s because
help your lower back. your lower back and quadriceps are weak-
If your lower back feels strong (i.e., ening and your pelvis is tipping back. In
you’re not rocking back onto your tail- that case, hold your thighs with your hands
bone), your chest is lifted and open, and to keep your lower back strong. >>
Fig. 7a, b, c, and d: BOAT POSE (paripurna navasana) balances the action of the half boat pose by strength-
ening the muscles of your lower back and hip flexors. While in the boat pose maintain a slight arch in your
lower back and stay on the back edges of your sit bones (not on your tailbone).
▲
▲
the entire length of the other leg behind to turn from the pit of your abdomen
you straight on the floor. Reach back from the action of your obliques, while
through the toes of the back leg, gently keeping your hips and lower back stable,
pressing the top of your foot into the giving a gentle, healthy squeeze to your
floor to activate the thigh. Now lift up Fig. 8: SIMPLE SEATED TWIST Your inner organs. Repeat this entire process
through your lower belly to get a stretch obliques and lower back muscles protect and sta- on the other side.
and release deep inside the pelvis, where bilize your spine as you twist. As you deepen the This approach to twisting, which hon-
the psoas lies. Repeat the pose on the twist, keep your hips centered and grounded. ors the protective role that the abdomi-
other side. nals play for the lumbar spine, makes the
ate the twist from the external obliques pose safe, as well as energizing. Your
A TURN FOR THE BETTER: USING YOUR on your left side. Simultaneously, activate lumbar disks will thank you for it. +
ABDOMINALS IN TWISTING POSES the internal obliques on your right side.
Abdominal support is especially impor-
tant in twisting poses where it stabilizes
This will keep your lower belly firm and
lifting. Keep a neutral arch in your lower
+ Visit YogaPlus.org and click on “Poses
for Strong Abs” for more abdominal exercises
the otherwise vulnerable lumbar spine. back, not tipping your pelvis back; and that will strengthen your core and support a
To come into a simple seated twist, initi- keep the left sit bone grounded. As you healthy, pain-free back.
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