7 Yoga Poses to Tone Your Abs at Home

By Sara Lindberg September 19, 2019

There's something so calming about tackling a workout on your own in the comfort of your own home. No frazzled fellow class-goers. No arguing over the playlist. And you can kiss any excuses goodbye. At home, it's just you, your breath and your practice.

An at-home yoga practice can bring you a sense of calm — as well as overall toning. (Image: primeimages/E+/GettyImages)

Tackling a yoga workout at home, specifically, can help you de-stress — and build a stronger core. But that's not all. According to Harvard Health Publishing, integrating regular yoga into your routine can lead to:

  • Reduced joint pain
  • Increased endurance
  • Better posture
  • Greater muscle strength
  • More flexibility
  • Heightened balance and mobility

Read more: 13 Reasons to Start Practicing Yoga

Sounds like a no-brainer, right? Grab a yoga mat, a couple of props (blocks and yoga wheels are welcome) and slip into some leggings. Yoga specialist and celebrity trainer Claire Grieve has got the perfect at-home yoga workout designed to target your abs.

Celebrity trainer Claire Grieve has the perfect at-home yoga workout to target your abs. (Image: Graphic: LIVESTRONG.com Creative)

The Workout

Do: Each of these moves in order. Repeat the sequence up to three times.

Move 1: Bridge Pose

Make sure you're activating your glutes in Bridge pose, squeezing them at the top of the movement. (Image: fizkes/iStock/GettyImages)
  1. Lie on your back with knees bent and feet on the floor hip-width apart.
  2. Lift your hips to the sky.
  3. Interlace your hands underneath you and straighten your arms.
  4. Draw your chin away from your chest.
  5. Hold this pose for 30 to 60 seconds.

Move 2: Boat Pose

If you don't feel like you have the essential core strength just yet to straighten your legs, it's OK to keep a slight bend at the knees. (Image: Antonio_Diaz/iStock/GettyImages)
  1. Sit with your knees bent, feet flat on the ground.
  2. Extend your arms forward toward your legs.
  3. Lean back to engage your core.
  4. Raise your feet and slowly start straightening your legs, bringing your body into a V shape.
  5. Hold for 30 to 60 seconds.

Read more: 10 Best Yoga Poses for Beginners

Move 3: Chair Pose

When in Chair, you should be able to look down and see your toes. (Image: fizkes/iStock/GettyImages)
  1. Raise your arms overhead, allowing your shoulders to relax away from your ears.
  2. Bend your knees and lower your hips down as if you were sitting in a chair.
  3. Shift your weight into your heels as you lift through your chest.
  4. Hold for up to one minute.

Move 4: Plank Pose

It's important to engage your abs in a high plank. (Image: Hiraman/E+/GettyImages)
  1. Begin on your hands and toes; lengthen from the crown of your head to your heels.
  2. Keep your core pulled into your spine, back flat.
  3. Hold for up to one minute.

Move 5: Knee to Nose

The lower you keep your glutes to the ground during this pose, the more activated your core will be. (Image: deimagine/E+/GettyImages)
  1. Starting in Downward Facing Dog, lift one leg to the sky.
  2. Shift your shoulders over your wrists and draw your knee into your nose.
  3. Try to kiss your knee as you activate your core.
  4. Hold for 30 seconds and repeat on the other side.

Move 6: Chaturanga

Keep your elbows in close to the body throughout Chaturanga. (Image: Ovseychuk Stanislav / EyeEm/EyeEm/GettyImages)
  1. Begin in a plank.
  2. Lower halfway down, keeping your elbows tucked into your sides.
  3. Hold for at least 30 seconds.

Move 7: Upward Facing Dog

During this movement, make sure to keep your thighs off of the mat. (Image: Antonio_Diaz/iStock/GettyImages)
  1. Lie on the floor with your hands by your chest.
  2. Push up until your elbows are almost straight and your hips are lifted off the ground.
  3. Take a deep breath and extend your chest to the sky.
  4. Repeat 10 times.
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