A toned midsection will do a lot more than help you slide into that cocktail sheath or simply look hotter. Strengthening your core can improve your overall health by:

Correcting your posture and reducing your risk of injury.
When your core is strong, those muscles can help protect your spine and keep you properly aligned. And when your spine is lined up and you move correctly, you’re less likely to fall and injure other parts of your body.

Boosting your energy. “Strengthening your core improves your respiratory efficiency because proper alignment allows you to breathe deeply and therefore maximize your oxygen intake,” says holistic health practitioner Paul Chek, founder of the Chek Institute in San Diego and author of How to Eat, Move, and Be Healthy.

Clearing your head. When you don’t have solid core strength, especially in your chest and upper back, your neck will tilt back and pinch, which can cause headaches and even foggy thinking.

Making you look leaner. “When you properly work your core, you can create more space between your vertebrae and stand half an inch to an inch taller,” says Mimosa Gordon, principal Pilates instructor at re:Ab Pilates studio in New York City. “You’re maximizing your natural height, and having proper posture will make you look taller and thinner,” she says.

Although many yoga sequences can help tone your midsection, you don’t always need a mat or a gym to shape and strengthen—core training is completely portable. Work your middle in the middle of the day with these tips from Ana Forrest, creator of the Strength and Spirit DVD, and Paul Chek.

Get Active Feet
Engaging your feet throughout the day will help align your knees, hips, and back, improve your overall posture, and help you feel “grounded,” Forrest says. Energize your feet by rooting them into the ground, pushing through the balls of your feet, and lift your toes up.

Sit Up (Already)
“When we’re tired we collapse our torso, which actually makes us more tired. But if you sit up, you free up space so energy can move through you,” Forrest says. Do it right by: Sitting with your legs uncrossed, and your feet flat on the floor. Align your neck with the rest of your spine, situate your shoulders directly over your hips, and slide your shoulder blades down toward your ribs. Next, inhale for as long as you can, and feel your ribs spread to the sides, up into your armpits. “You’ll flush fatigue and feed your brain,” Forrest says.

Play the Trumpet
This move strengthens your deepest abdominal muscles, which act as a natural girdle to support your spine and keep your organs in place, says Paul Chek, founder of the Chek Institute in San Diego. Start by putting your finger in your belly button, and inhale deeply. Next, tightly purse your lips as if you were playing the trumpet, and forcefully blow the air out, drawing your belly toward your spine. Be sure to maintain good posture as you exhale. Hold your breath and your belly in for 10 seconds and then release, repeating the sequence 10 times.

>>> For a complete middle-management program, see “The Core Curriculum” in the new Winter edition of YogaLife. It’s on newsstands now, or you can subscribe here.