The abs consistently makes any list of areas of the body that people want to change. There are certain yoga asanas that can be used to tone, slim and strengthen the ab muscles. Stronger abs not only looks better, but also improves digestion, create a stronger core and strengthen the back muscles to reduce injury and back pain.
Cat and Cow Sequence: This flowing movement from cat to cow is used in most yoga workouts for the abs. breathe with the sequence and repeat the movement five to ten times with each practice to strengthen the abs and back.
Plank Pose: Plank is great for toning and strengthening the abs. you can’t cheat to get the abdominal strengthening benefits of this pose. Lift off the ground completely and balance on the arms and feet. There are variations of plank pose that help to tone the abs, including lifting one arm and the opposite leg off the mat, while balancing on the remaining arm and leg. As always, switch sides by returning to plank and then lifting the other arm and leg from the mat.
Side Plank: Continue the plank sequence by doing side plank pose. From plank pose, turn the feet and balance on the side of one foot and lift the opposite arm to the sky. Return to plank and repeat side plank on the other side. This helps to tone the obliques and using plank and then side plank will work all the ab muscles.
Boat Pose: This pose helps to tone the lower abdominal muscles and the obliques. The higher you move into boat pose, the greater the benefit for your abs. Holding the pose for thirty seconds to one minute helps to increase the definition of the abdominals.
There are a few variations of boat pose for the abs. One is a variation in which you take one arm and move it across your torso to the other side of the body. Return to boat pose and repeat the action on the other side of the body to work the obliques. Another is to move up and down into full boat pose by raising and lowering the legs and upper body.
Bridge Pose: This asana tones the abdominal muscles, glutes and lower back. Lift your tailbone from the floor and hold this pose to get the best results for toning your entire torso and glutes. For intermediate and advanced level, you can increase the benefit with a variation that involves lifting one leg and bringing the foot toward the ceiling. Return to bridge and lift the opposite leg.