5 Yoga Poses to Strengthen Abs

We’ve shared yoga poses for improving memory, fighting colds, and asanas to do each and every day but here are five to help you find that flat stomach you’ve been after! Thanks to Body Works Day Spa, we’ve got five yoga poses to strengthen abs!

by Kathleen Byrne, 200-Hour Certified Yoga Instructor at Body Works Day Spa

1.       Boat Pose (Navasana)

• Sit with the knees bent, feet flat on the floor.  Grasp the legs under the thighs.  Cross the ankles and draw the knees deeply into the chest.  Keep the spine straight by bringing the body forward rather than back.
• Straighten the arms directly out in front of the body.  Stay for 10 full and complete breaths.  Repeat 5 times.

2.       Three-legged Downward Facing Dog (Tri Pada Adho Mukha Svanasana) with movement

• Begin in downward facing dog.
• Inhale the right leg up.  Bend at the knee and draw the knee into the chest with intention of tapping the nose to the knee.
• Exhale extend the leg back to three-legged dog.
• Bring knee towards nose and repeat three more rounds.
• On the last exhale, extend the leg back to three-legged dog and on the inhale bend the knee and draw it in towards your right elbow. Repeat right knee to right elbow 3x’s.
• Exhale the leg back out to three-legged dog.  Inhale bend the knee and draw the knee in towards the left elbow. Repeat bringing the right knee towards left elbow 3x’s.
• Exhale, step your right foot down to the mat in downward facing dog and repeat sequence on left side.

3.        Forearm plank

• Placing the forearms down on the mat parallel to the sides of the mat extend both legs out behind the body lifting onto the toes.  Stay for 5 full breaths (inhales and exhales).
• Inhale up to forearm down-dog for 2 breaths.
• Repeat inhaling forward to forearms and staying for 5 breaths before inhaling up to forearm down dog.  Repeat 5 times.

4.        Legs up the wall minus the wall 

• Lying flat down on the mat inhale the legs straight up.  Placing a blanket or soft block in between the thighs tighten the inner thighs to hold the prop in place.
• Placing the hands behind the head inhale the head and shoulders off the ground as the sit bones are lifted simultaneous.  Release after 5 breaths and repeat 3 times.

5.        Mermaid Pose

• Lie on the left side with the arms extended overhead bringing the body to one straight line.
• Forearm is parallel with the front of the mat.
• Lift the legs in the air and with straight legs cross one ankle over the other.
• Lift the legs in the air and with each breath change the position of the crossed straight legs.  Stay for 5 breaths and repeat on the other side

You might also like:

From A to Zumba: Get Your Groove On Yoga: Why It’s Good to Start Young
Spin Me Right Round Baby: Spin Class 101
Muscle Confusion: Avoid Stress Injuries & Keep Workouts Interesting
The ABC and DD’s of Sports Bras: 4 Flirty, Functional Fits
Top 10 All-the-Rage Fitness Trends