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9 yoga poses to reduce belly fat and strengthen your core

9 yoga poses to reduce belly fat and strengthen your core

Yoga is a great way to exercise and help reduce belly fat but it’s also perfect to strengthen your core.

One of the most important parts of yoga is to make sure you’re engaging the core or lower abdominals. Every pose that you do, you should be aware of what your abdominals are doing.

To find your core and help you reduce belly fat more effectively, focus on drawing the muscle between the belly button and the pubic bone in towards your spine. Once you can do that, you’ll see results quicker.

 

Now, let’s get to yoga poses to reduce belly fat.

1. Plank

How to get into the plank pose:

  • Start in the Downward Dog pose
  • Shift your weight over your wrists so that the shoulders are directly over your wrists.
  • You can hold it here or you can lower your body slowly until you get to the ground, a bit like a pushup.

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yoga poses to reduce belly fat - Side Plank

Variations:

  • When you’re in the plank pose with straight arms, you can lift one leg off the ground and hold. Alternate with the other leg.
  • Side plank: raise one arm up to the ceiling as you pivot to the side. Hold the pose. You can also lift the upper leg if you want more of a challenge.

2. Boat Pose

Yoga to reduce belly fat - Boat Pose

How to get into the Boat Pose?

  • Start by sitting onto your bottom and hugging your knees
  • As you get your balance, start to bring the legs into tabletop (knees bent and lower legs parallel with the ground)
  • You can stay here and bring the arms in front of you, parallel to the ground
  • If you’re feeling strong and want to give the abdominals more of a workout, then straighten the knees

Variations:

  • To challenge the abdominals, even more, you can lower both the upper body and legs towards the ground. Make sure you’re really engaging the core with this one!

3. Leg Raises

How to perform leg raises:

  • Lay on your back
  • Support the lower back with the arms tucked tightly at your side
  • Engage the core, drawing the lower abdominal muscles towards the spine
  • Raise one or both legs to 90 degrees then lower with control

4. Chair Pose

How to get into Chair Pose:

  • Start by standing with the feet together
  • Lower your bottom as if you were about to sit into a chair
  • When you feel comfortable then raise both arms up to about 45 degrees in front of you

Variations:

  • If you feel comfortable in the above position, you can come up onto your toes. This will challenge your balance and engage the core

5. Sitting Spinal Twist

Yoga Poses to reduce blely fat - sitting spinal twist

How to get into the Sitting Spinal Twist:

  • Start by sitting with both legs out the front, flat on the ground
  • Bend one knee and place the foot on the outside of the other leg that’s still flat to the ground
  • Using the opposite arm, wrap it around the bent knee
  • Gently twist to the side of the bent leg

Variations:

  • You can add to the twist by creating a bind with the arms. To do this wrap the arm that’s on the ground around your back towards the thigh of the leg on the ground.

6. Sitting Forward Bend

Yoga poses to reduce belly fat - Sitting forward bend

To get into the Sitting Forward Bend:

  • Start by sitting on the ground with both legs out the front, together and flat to the ground
  • Make sure you’re sitting right on your ‘sit bones’
  • Breathe in and raise both arms up to the ceiling
  • As you exhale, bend from the hips, working towards getting your chest onto your knees
  • Hold your legs or feet where ever you can, you don’t need to be able to touch your toes
  • Hold for as long as you feel comfortable and the come back up the starting position with control

Variations

  • There are many variations that you can do with the Sitting Forward Bend including a Wide Leg Forward Bend, Half Butterfly (have one knee bent and the sole of the foot on the inner thigh)  Forward Bend and Spinal Twist Forward Bend

7. Bridge

Yoga poses to reduce belly fat - the Bridge pose

To get into the Bridge Pose:

  • Start on your back with your knees bent and the soles of your feet flat to the ground
  • Draw your core towards your belly button and have your arms face down on the ground next to the body
  • Breathe in as you raise your hips to the ceiling to create the bridge
  • You can either leave your hands flat on the ground, they can support the lower back or you can interlock them
  • Hold the pose here and then bring the hips down with control

Variations:

  • The best variation of the Bridge pose to help reduce belly fat is to hold the Bridge poses and then with control, lift one leg do that it’s pointing to the ceiling. Hold it there, then lower with control and repeat on the opposite side

8. Bow

Yoga poses to reduce belly fat - Bow Pose

How to get into the Bow Pose

  • Start by lying face down on the ground
  • Grab ahold of the ankles
  • Keep the forehead to the ground
  • Breathe in as you raise the head, shoulders and upper body, then bring the knees off the ground to create the Bow

Variations:

  • If you feel comfortable in the Bow pose you can add some gentle rocking forward and backwards

9. Camel

yoga poses to reduce belly fat - the Camel Pose

How to get into the Camel Pose:

  • Start by sitting onto your heels
  • Lift the bottom forward and come up into the knees
  • Reach the heels with your hands
  • Push the hips forward to create the backbend
  • Hold the pose here and then gently come out of the pose

I hope these yoga poses help you reduce your belly fat and strengthen your core. As always, make sure you finish your yoga practice with some relaxation in Savasana or Childs Pose.

 

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