12 Yoga Poses to Strengthen and Tone Your Abs

Among those who don’t regularly practice yoga, there seems to be a common preconceived notion that yoga is just an easy workout done solely to promote relaxation, but never to break a sweat. And while some forms of yoga take less physical exertion—like facial yoga poses or laughter yoga—others, like Vinyasa or Ashtanga-style classes, are more rigorous and engage muscles you never knew existed. In fact, one of the benefits of yoga is that it is so diverse as a practice, and between all the different styles and poses, you can truly find a workout to suit nearly every mood and goal. One way to approach yoga-based workouts is to curate a sequence that targets a certain body region, such as the legs, arms, or core. Though total-body strengthening is important for overall health and fitness, area-focused workouts allow you to reap more specific strengthening benefits and might correct muscle imbalances in your weaker areas.

Whether you’re just getting started on your yoga journey or you’re a Vinyasa class devotee, incorporating yoga poses that target and strengthen the abs and core will be beneficial to your yoga practice and general fitness. Having a strong core may not only help improve your posture and spinal health but also allow you to be able to move on to more challenging balancing poses like crow pose, warrior II, and tree pose.

So if you’re looking to give your core a workout, look no further. Check out these 12 yoga poses that target your abs and strengthen and tone your core.

Meet the Expert

Pauline Stephens is a certified personal trainer, yoga instructor, meditation coach, and Ayurvedic treatment therapist.

Safety and Precautions 

Stephens says it’s important to pay attention to the flow of movements and poses when you engage in any core exercises. “The flow should allow you to ease into the sequence, which will help both the spine and abs, as both support the other,” she explains. “Having a combination of three to four poses in a sequence can help someone who tends to be bored with one simple pose. In a sense, it keeps things fresh so that you’re more aware of the poses as you carefully move in and out of them.” In other words, pick a couple of poses that target the abs, pair them with a couple that target your back, and then work them together into a sequence to keep your body balanced and healthy. Lastly, while the poses here should be safe for everyone, if you are pregnant, have back pain, or are injured, you should get clearance from your doctor before trying any poses.

Myths 

“One myth is that if your core doesn’t hurt as you’re working it, then you didn’t do [the exercise] correctly. [But] in fact, if something hurts during the flow, you should be mindful of the pain level and either reset or discontinue until your alignment is good enough to support you,” advises Stephens. “You should never be in pain during the sequence. You will feel your abs tighten or contract at some point, but pain should never be your measure of a successful practice.”

Stephens says another misconception is that props and modifications should be avoided unless absolutely necessary. Some people seem to feel they undermine your practice, detract from the necessary challenge, and serve as “cheats.” However, modifications, such as dropping to your knees for planks or using bolsters and blocks to elevate and support certain parts of the body, are healthy techniques you should incorporate into your practice where helpful to aid in executing a pose or sequence more safely, ergonomically, or comfortably. You are not “weak” or “cheating” if you modify your poses.

Lastly, while we provided a safety and precautions note for pregnant women, Stephens notes that it’s not that poses that utilize the abs have to be avoided at all costs during pregnancy—it’s just that some care and medical guidance should be followed. “There is a misconception that, if someone is pregnant, they should not go into any pose that requires the use of their abs,” says Stephens. “This is not the case, and [they] can be done safely under supervision and proper instructions.”

Note: Begin your practice with a few rounds of Surya Namaskar to get your body and muscles nicely warmed up before trying the following core-strengthening yoga sequence.