If I´ve learned something after a lifetime of body work, it´s that strengthening our core is vital, not to get six-pack abs (I don´t have them), but to protect our back and help maintain our balance. I´ve had two babies and I´m 56. Although I practice yoga daily, I still have loose skin around my middle. I usually don´t wear a shirt in class to hide it because at this age (or any age, really) who cares?

However, I´m able to stand up from the floor without using my hands, and if I trip, I can usually recover pretty fast without falling or injuring myself. Hoping I can help others feel just as strong and confident, here are four yoga poses that are also used in general fitness classes that can help any of us have a strong core and good balance at any age. 

Yoga isn’t only about the poses, but the poses (asanas, as they are known in Sanskrit), practiced with care, along with yogic breathing, can be beneficial for unifying mind, body and spirit.

According to Yoga International, “In the contemporary world where many of us are perpetually on the go, practice can slow us down and help us bridge disconnections between the body, mind, and breath. It can also be practiced to increase strength and flexibility, improve balance and core strength, and bring a sense of mindfulness into our everyday lives.”

Asana yoga is just one of the eight limbs of Yoga which are the following: