Practicing Yoga for Faster Progress Requires Strengthening Core and Upper Body Strength

Yoga practitioners often ask: After practicing yoga for so long, why haven’t I seen much progress? Even with slightly challenging poses, I can’t perform them. Let alone high-level movements……

Actually, to make progress in yoga, especially to achieve high-level movements, besides good flexibility, you also need sufficient strength, especially core strength and upper body strength. This is often overlooked by many women.

Therefore, when practicing yoga, don’t just focus on stretching, but also strengthen your muscles. This will help your body achieve balance and progress faster.

Today, I’m recommending a yoga sequence to strengthen your core and upper body strength. For those who want to quickly achieve high-level movements and perform challenging poses, keep practicing!

Action 1-3:

• Lie on your stomach, with your hands placed on either side of your chest
• Exhale, widen your legs and hips to be at the same width as your hips, and lift your hips upward
• Extend your legs and arms, and stretch your spine
• Your body forms an inverted ‘V’ shape, holding for 5-8 breaths

• Inhale, raise your right leg upward and back
• Hold for 3-5 breaths

• Exhale, lower your right foot to the side of your body
• Your body naturally twists to the right, opening your chest and hips
• Extend your left arm, holding for 3-5 breaths
• Return to downward-facing dog and switch to the other side
• Repeat actions 1-3

Action 4-6:

• Start in downward-facing dog, adjusting for 3-5 breaths
• Shift your weight forward and enter plank pose, with your arms vertical along your mat
• Your body forms a straight line, holding for 3-5 breaths

• Exhale, open your body to the right side
• Maintain a straight line, with your legs together
• Extend your left arm upwards, holding for 3-5 breaths

• Exhale, lift your upper leg upwards
• Hold for 3-5 breaths, then return to plank pose
• Switch to the other side and repeat actions 4-6

Action 7-9:

• Start in downward-facing dog, adjusting for 3-5 breaths

• Shift your weight forward and enter four-legged pose
• Go to your elbows, with your arms at a 90-degree angle
• If you’re capable, lift your right leg upwards
• Hold for 3-5 breaths

• Exhale, move your body forward and through
• Enter upward-facing dog, holding for 3-5 breaths
• Switch to the other side and repeat actions 7-9

Action 10-12:

• Prepare for downward-facing dog, adjusting for 3-5 breaths

• Go to your elbows and enter dolphin pose
• Hold for 3-5 breaths

• Kneel with your legs bent and slightly wider than your hips
• Sit your hips back onto your heels
• Extend your arms forward, holding for 2-3 minutes