When you are working on strengthening your abs, you will see the most progress if you work the entire core or “powerhouse”. So that includes not just the front abdominals and side obliques – but also the hip flexors, glutes, muscles in the spine and in the shoulders.
These yoga based exercises will take you through a short routine to work this entire core area.
I recommend having one block, cork if you have it to add extra challenge.
- Bridge – Lower down onto your back with the block handy if you have one. Bend the knees and place the feet on the floor hip width apart. Place the block between the upper thighs. Walk the heels in towards the seat. Bring the hands down at the sides. Squeeze your thighs into the blocks. Push into the heels and curl the tailbone up into bridge. Maintaining the engagement on the block. Push the heels into the mat and drag heels back towards the seat. After a couple breaths, slowly roll down.
2. Crunch Variation – Remove the block. Reach hands up overhead to the ground behind you. Straighten the right leg out to hover the foot off the mat. Reach arms up and forward, curling head and shoulders off the mat. Tucking chin to chest. Flex into the right foot, pull knee to nose. Making a tight little ball. Then extend the right leg out. Repeat this in and out 5 times through. Then lower down. Stretch full out and then repeat on the other side.
3. Roll Up – Straighten both legs out all the way. Reach the hands back. Use power of the breath. Inhale to tuck the chin to the chest, rolling all the way up slowly. Trying to keep legs steady on the ground.
4. Modified Plank Flow – Come up to hands and knees. With hands a bit ahead of the shoulders, shift the hips forward to modified plank. Bend the elbows in at the sides to lower all the way down. Push back, sending hips towards the heels in a little child’s pose. Do this 5 times through. Staying strong through the core.
5. Side Plank Variation – Place the block at the top of the mat. From table top, keep left hand flat on the floor underneath the shoulders. Extend right leg back. Grab the block with the right hand, reaching it up towards the sky. Opening to a modified side plank. Externally rotating the right hip so the knees and toes point up to the sky. Inhale to squeeze and lift the right leg up. Exhale heel down. Do 5 or so.
6. Obliques – Lower the heel down. Keep it there. Use oblique strength to lift the body up. Reach the arms out to the side, keeping the block in the right hand. Twist towards the right. Unwind back to the center. Tap the left hand down. Repeat 5 times through.
Repeat 5 and 6 through on the other side.
7. Plank Flow – Come to downward dog. Kick the right leg up, squaring the hips. Exhale, shifting forward to plank. Drawing right knee to right elbow. Come back to three legged dog. Exhale forward, this time twisting right knee to left elbow. Keeping the hips low. Inhale back again. Exhale to plank with knee drawing towards the nose.
Repeat on other side.
These poses make up a portion of a longer 35 minute practice I shared recently. Practice with me in the video below.
Kassandra
