6 Poses For A Flatter Belly

Keep Your Belly In Check This Holiday With These Poses!

The holidays are upon us and you know what that means: Plenty of opportunities to fall into some bad habits! From office parties to cookie swaps, there are many ways to put on some extra pounds this time of year. In areas where the temperatures are dropping, this is even more problematic as you are not outside as much and exercising becomes more of a chore.  One way to combat the temptations of the holidays and keep your belly in check is by performing yoga poses designed to work your abs!

The following poses will work your core and help stave off any extra calories you may be consuming over the next month. See the poses below and be sure to pass these along to your friends looking to keep their bodies in check this holiday season!

Rock Up To Standing

A:  Lying on your back with both knees at your chest, rock back and forth from your shoulders to your hips.

B:  Once you get up the momentum, rock up onto your feet and stand up. This takes a lot of core strength, so you can make it easier by using your hands to push yourself up.

Chair Pose

From a standing position, bring your legs together with your feet touching. Sink your hips back like you are about to sit on a chair and bring your arms above you, holding them straight up next to your ears. Hold for 45 seconds to 1 minute. If you want to challenge yourself more, try to shift a little more weightonto your heels. This engages your core muscles and works on your balance.

Tip: This pose requires a lot of core strength, so if you’re having difficulty, you can make it easier by not sinking your hips as far down. To do this, pretend like you are trying to sit on a bar stool instead of a chair.

 

Warrior 1

Starting from the previous Chair Pose, come back up to a standing position. You can shake out your legs if you feel the need.

A:  Step your left leg back about 3 feet and bend your right knee to a 90-degree angle. Try to point your back toes slightly forward while keeping your heel pressed down.
B:  Then bring your arms up toward the ceiling. The goal in this pose is to have your thigh parallel to the floor. You want to feel as if you are trying to reach the ceiling with your fingertips as you sink down with your lower body. Keep your upper body straight and hold for 1 minute. Come back up to a standing position. Now step your right leg back 3 feet and bend your left leg to a 90-degree angle. Bring your arms straight up toward the ceiling. Hold for 1 minute. Take a second and try to notice if there was a difference between one side and the other. One of your goals, besides gaining a flat belly, is to balance out your body to prevent injury and create symmetry.

Hero Pose With A Lift

A:  Come down to the floor with your knees together and sit on your feet. Rest your hands on top of your thighs. Take a deep breath in.

B:  On your exhale, begin to lift your arms as you raise yourself up onto your knees.

C:  Once you are on your knees and your hands are pointed up toward the ceiling, slowly lower yourself back down to your starting position. Do this 5 times.

Seated Tree—Up And Over

Swing your legs out in front of you and shake them out.

A:  Bring your right foot to the inside of your left leg. Place your right hand on the mat or floor beside your right hip for support.

B:  With your left arm, reach up and over your head toward the right side of your body and then back down to shoulder height. Make sure you’re sitting up straight. Repeat this 5 times, inhaling as you reach up and exhaling as you bring your arm back down. We will be doing this pose with weights during the 4-Week Workout, so I want to make sure you get your form down now. After you have done this 5 times, switch sides. Your left foot should come to the inside of your right leg. Bring your left hand beside your left hip for support, while your right hand comes up and over toward your left, and then back down to shoulder height. Do this 5 times slowly. Sitting up straight will help you focus on your core. If you can’t sit up straight, you can modify the pose by not reaching up and over so far. Or you can sit up on a folded blanket, which helps to keep you from slouching.

Tip: Try to get your foot to the inside of your thigh. If you have trouble, just bring your foot to your knee (or to your calf) to modify the pose.

Windshield Wiper

A:  Next, bring your knees together and roll down onto your back. Bring your arms straight out so that they are parallel to your shoulders. While keeping your head and neck straight, look up at the ceiling.

B:  Take a deep breath in and on your exhale, lower your legs while pointing them toward the right side of the room. Hover your legs about 2 or 3 inches from the floor.

C:  Take a deep breath in and on your exhale, switch so that your legs are pointed toward the left side of the room. Do this 5 times on each side. Be sure to keep your upper back pressed to the floor. This pose works your obliques–the sides of your body. Once you’ve completed this pose, hug your knees into your chest and rock side to side.

See the full list of poses from Prevention.com here.

To Your Health And Wellness!