Abs. We all want them, and when we get them we want to keep them! If you aren’t a fan of crunches,like most people in the world, look no further. Yoga is a fantastic way to build your core strength and tone your abdominals!

All yoga sessions naturally help tone your core because you are supporting the weight of other body parts. A strong core is essential to balancing on one leg, twisting like a pretzel or just getting into a sturdy triangle pose.

What a lot of people don’t realize is that yoga is a great alternative to traditional abdominal exercises!Some yoga poses target the deeper abdominal muscles that aren’t commonly engaged. Focusing on your core can help improve your balance, posture and even endurance!

Obviously, some yoga poses will work out your core more than others! Here are five of the best yoga poses for abs:

  • Boat Pose: If you have ever done this pose, then you know how much of an abdominal workout it can be! Holding your body in this ‘V’ formation will have you building core strength as well as endurance by targeting your deeper core muscles. You can do different variations of this pose by moving your legs and stopping at different heights in order to really feel the burn. But don’t worry – you can always modify it to be right for you!
  • Plank Pose: Some people may not realize how often planks are involved in yoga. It is most commonly used as a transition from one pose to another, but it is still one of the best ways to tighten your core! Yoga uses many variations to spice up the dreaded plank, giving you a great abdominal workout without the worry of holding a plank for 30 seconds. These variations include, stacked side planks, chaturanga plank, dolphin plank, single arm/leg plank, and more!
  • Bow Pose: This pose is a lazy girls dream – only in the sense that you get to lie down! This is a great start to achieving your dream abs because it helps shed the stubborn fat surrounding your abdominals. It gives a great stretch throughout your body that tightens abdominal muscles at the same time.
  • Warrior Pose: More specifically, Warrior 3! Since this pose is heavily focused on balance, it really targets the abdominal muscles for the duration of the pose! The most beneficial part of this pose is that it aims to get rid of the stubborn belly fat by tightening your core. Need I say more!?
  • Crow Pose: While I wouldn’t recommend a beginner to start out with this post, it does give a great abdominal workout. This difficult pose engages the core from the beginning until the end. Don’t be discouraged by the level of difficulty, look at it as something to work towards! By using variations and modifications along the way, you’ll be a pro in no time!

If you’re looking to tone your abdominals – or any part of your body – check out Our Sessions to get started on your yoga journey today!