Five Yoga Poses for Six-Pack Abs and Core Strength

Looking to turn up the summer heat and strengthen your core muscles? Try out this yoga for core sequence - you can do this on its own or add these poses to an existing practice to turn up the temperature.

Tricky Table

From tabletop pose, extend your left arm straight out in front of you and your right leg straight back behind you. Your palm should be facing the right, fingers extended, bicep in line with your ear. Keep your hips neutrally aligned by dialing your right toes down toward the mat. Maintain a long spine and engage the muscles in your core. Take smooth, steady breaths. Repeat on the other side.

To charge this pose up even more, extend through your fingers and toes on your inhale, and crunch on the exhale - left elbow meeting right knee at your abdomen.

Hovering Cat

Return to tabletop pose, knees aligned under hips and wrists aligned under shoulders. Tuck your toes and let your knees hover a tiny bit (barely an inch) above the mat - you’ll feel it in your core right away! Hold here, keeping your core engaged and the rest of your body still.

Downward Dog Squares

Come into downward facing dog pose. Bend your left knee, coming into a three-legged dog. Slide your left knee up to your left armpit, down to your left wrist, over to your right wrist, and up to your right armpit. Do this several times before switching legs and repeating on the other side.

Side Plank

Shift forward into a plank pose. Move your right hand to the center of your mat, under your face, and transition onto the outer edge of your right foot, stacking your left leg on top of your right. Extend your left arm up to the ceiling, stacking your shoulders. Maintain a long, neutral spine. Hold steady here before transitioning back to traditional plank and switching sides. Feel free to take a rest in tabletop or child’s pose between sides.

To ramp up the fire, from side plank, bend your top leg and bring your foot onto your inner calf or thigh, for a side plank tree variation.

Yogi Scissor Legs

Come all the way down on your back with your legs extended up in the air and your arms resting by your sides. Start by pointing through your left foot and lowering your left leg almost all the way to the mat. Just before it lands, flex your left foot, raise your left leg back up, while you simultaneously point through your right foot, and lower your right leg. Repeat until you feel the fire!