The Significance of a Flexible Waist

The waist includes all the muscles of the lower back and abdomen. This section of the body is also referred to as the core in some fitness fields, such as yoga. The strengthening and stretching of these muscles relieves chronic lower back pain and increases flexibility; this is important not only for preventing injuries to the lower back, but also for maintaining a toned set of abdominal muscles.

The Core

• The core, or center, of the body, is thought to be a hub of energy in yoga and other holistic exercise. This includes the abdomen and lower back, as well as the hips and peritoneum. Flexibility in this area of the body gives you the ability to advance with difficult yoga poses that open up energy chakras located in the pelvis and abdomen.

Breath Capacity

• The muscles making up the waist surround the diaphragm, a muscle that assists in deep breathing. The diaphragm is a respiratory muscle underneath the lungs and heart, and above the liver. When you breath deeply, the diaphragm flattens to make room for the lungs, and when you exhale it expands upward. A flexible and strong waist supports the diaphragm in its breathing function by ensuring that the muscles surrounding it flex and contract fluidly.

Dance

• Flexibility in the spine, abdomen and hips is essential for dance; this includes classical dance, such as ballet, modern dance and social dances like the ChaCha. A flexible core area gives a dancer a wider range of motion and allows her to execute basic moves without fear of injury. With increased flexibility in the waist, a dancer can advance in her field by performing more difficult moves that demand flexibility in the spine.

Fitness

• Flexibility training goes hand in hand with strength and endurance. To be flexible, a waist must also have the muscle strength to rebound from a stretch, as well as the endurance to maintain a stretch. So, working regular core stretches into an exercise routine also benefits overall fitness.