Yoga Stomach Exercise

When the National Institutes of Health held its first annual Yoga Week in 2008, Dr. Rachel Permuth-Levine spoke out to clarify perceptions about yoga practice, including the misperception that yoga provides stretching without other benefits. The benefits of yoga include the potential for increased fitness and weight loss, according to MayoClinic.com, which can translate into stronger, leaner stomachs.

Rotation

Rotating the stomach muscles in yoga twists, which involve the internal and external obliques, allows for detoxification. Dr. Ray Long, orthopedic surgeon and founder of Bandha Yoga, explains that twisting postures "create a 'wringing' effect on the abdominal organs," which helps to flush the system of toxins. Remember to hydrate after yoga practice: It helps the body clean out.

Breathing

Breath work provides an effective way to engage the deepest stomach muscle, the transversus abdominus. Fernando Pages Ruiz, contributing editor at "Yoga Journal," says this muscle helps us cough, sneeze and exhale with force. Following a deep inhalation, Kapalabhati, or skull shining breath, involves a series of quick exhalations through the nose, driven by a contraction of the stomach just below the belly button. This contraction activates the abdominal muscles. Breathing exercises like this constitute one of the eight limbs of yoga---disciplines for the body and mind.

Locking

Yoga exercises include bandhas, or "locks." Uddiyana-bandha, or flying upward, refers to the abdominal lock, a lift and contraction of the upper abs. Dr. Ananda Balayogi Bhavanani, chair of the International Centre for Yoga Education and Research in India, reports that engaging the stomach muscles in this lock can benefit the diaphragm, the liver, pancreas and spleen. To start, take a full, deep breath and exhale quickly. Without inhaling, contract the abs toward the spine. Then lift the contraction upward. A cautious instructor teaches Uddiyana-bandha in stages and warns students of contraindications.

Safety

Engaging the stomach muscles during yoga practice can protect the lower back, especially when moving from or returning to a neutral position. Contracting the abdominals during exercise provides support for the lumbar spine. Dr. Long compares the effect to that of an airbag, because the compression of internal organs creates cushion-like support for the back.

Considerations

A rock-solid stomach doesn't make a healthy stomach. Fernando Pages Ruiz, who calls himself "a recovering six-pack-abs junkie," says abdominal muscles perform many functions: They "assist breathing, align the pelvis, flex and rotate the trunk, keep the torso erect, support the lumbar spine, and hold in organs of digestion." That means the stomach needs to rotate and extend, as well as flex. In his article, "Forget Six-Pack Abs," Ruiz writes, "Yogis know that chronically tight abdominals aren't any healthier than chronically tight hamstrings."