5 Yoga Poses for Strong Abs
The core plays a huge role in yoga, but also in our daily lives. These muscles support and stabilize our backs, hips, and pelvis, and are crucial for achieving proper alignment in the majority of yoga poses. Off the yoga mat, they’re often working away in the background without us even noticing, helping us to balance as we walk and move throughout our day.
“The abdominal muscles make up the majority of our core muscles, and strengthening them has huge benefits in yoga and in life. ”
The abdominal muscles make up the majority of our core muscles, and strengthening them has huge benefits in yoga and in life. It can often be difficult to achieve certain yoga poses without the necessary ab strength, and beginner yogis may find their abs feeling weak or shaky as they begin their practice. Strengthening the abs not only helps us become better yoga practitioners, but it also helps us maintain balance and mobility as we age, resulting in fewer injuries and accidents.
Here are 5 yoga poses to help you develop a stronger core and rock-solid abs:
1. Boat Pose
Boat Pose, aka Navasana in Sanksrit, is a seated balancing pose that is trickier than it looks. It strengthens the abs, hips, and back, while also improving balance and posture. In this pose it’s important to draw the chest forward while keeping a long, straight spine, which can often be difficult to do while balancing on the sitbones. To modify this pose for beginners, you can place the toes down for balance as you increase strength in the lower abs and hip flexors.
2. Triangle Pose
Triangle Pose, aka Trikonasana is a beginner-friendly standing pose that is an essential building block towards achieving more challenging postures. It stretches and strengthens the hips, legs, and shoulders, while also improving balance and flexibility. In this pose it’s important not to collapse or bend in the torso; the core must stay engaged in order to achieve proper alignment of the spine.
3. Chaturanga
Four-Limbed Staff Pose, aka Chaturanga Dandasana is much more than a push-up. It is an intermediate arm balance that has many beginner-friendly variations, and is a foundational asana that fires up the core in order to keep the hips and back properly aligned. While usually performed as a transitional pose during Sun Salutations, you can hold this pose for 10 to 20 seconds at a time to improve ab strength.
4. Side Plank Pose
Side Plank Pose, aka Vasisthasana is a beginner-to-intermediate arm balance that fires up the side abdominal muscles. With several variations available, this pose is an excellent foundational balancing asana that prepares yogis for more challenging poses.
5. Chair Pose
Chair Pose, aka Utkatasana is an all-levels standing pose that engages the core in order to stabilize the back and hips in a flexed position. In this pose, it’s important to engage the lower belly and tuck your tailbone slightly to achieve proper alignment. Practicing this pose regularly will strengthen your abs as well as your entire body, and will aid in achieving more difficult asanas.
Check out our full Pose Guide and library of Naked Yoga videos for more information and training.
See you on the mat!
