Watch Malaika Arora demonstrate a yoga asana that can strengthen your core

Bollywood star Malaika Arora is well-known for providing #MalaikaMovesofTheWeek to her fans and social media followers week after week. You may find enough fitness inspiration just scrolling through her Instagram to get yourself started on your fitness journey. The actress, who defies her age with her toned body, recently shared a yoga pose that might help you develop a strong core.

Malaika advises performing a tiger pose, also known as Vyaghrasana or a cat pose variation, in case you’re chasing a strong core.

According to her, “A strong core not only helps in toning your muscles but adds power and helps improve your everyday tasks.”

Check out her Instagram post for the move of the week that focuses on core:

According to her, this Vyaghrasana, or the tiger pose and a cat pose variation, promotes:

1. Spinal health: It improves spinal health by toning and relaxing spinal nerves.
2. Good posture: Regular practice of this pose can help improve your body posture by promoting flexibility and balance.
3. Balance: Tiger pose also promotes balance in the body.
4. Body stability: This pose promotes posture and balance, so it’s good for improving body stability.

Apart from these benefits, tiger pose also helps to:

• Improve blood circulation
• Improve digestive system
• Promote weight loss
• Tones up the vaginal passage (therefore highly recommended for women after childbirth)
• Stretch abdominal muscles
• Loosens your leg and hip joints

Here’s how to perform this pose:

Step 1: Begin with your hands and knees in a table pose.

Step 2: Gently take marjaryasana or cat pose and ease yourself into this.

Step3: Before you start moving in this variation pose, relax your breathing.

Step 4: Now, inhale while raising your right leg towards the back until it’s parallel to the ground while arching your back.

Also, read: Take cues from Malaika, and do these 3 yoga asanas to strengthen your core

Step 5: Stretch your leg up and over, bending your right knee.

Step 6: When you’re done with this, raise your head up and look at the ceiling.

Step 7: Maintain this pose, balance your body and hold your breath inside for a few seconds.

Step 8: Now, exhale and bend your right knee to the forehead, rounding the spine.

Step 9: Hold here and retain breath outside you for a few seconds.

Step 10: Then, take the leg back again, straighten it, and stretch gently. Make sure your right foot does not touch the ground.

Step 11: Repeat with the left leg.

She adds, “For me, yoga has always been the go-to workout for strengthening my core muscles. So this week, remix this reel and do 10 repetitions on both sides to work up a great sweat.”