Bridge pose in yoga, also known by its Sanskrit name setu bandha sarvangasana, is a staple in most asana practices, accessible to beginners yet still challenging for advanced practitioners; it’s not only great for core strengthening, but it also offers notable benefits for flexibility and back health.
“Bridge pose is a one-stop shop for core strength,” says Esther Yaniv, MD, E-RYT 200, physical medicine and rehab physician and registered yoga teacher. “It engages the deep postural muscles, specifically the multifidus muscles, which are essential for spinal support.” Your multifidi are deep stabilizer muscles that run along either side of your spinal column.