There are many reasons why you might show up to a yoga practice, whether you’re looking to quiet your mind, connect with your breath, de-stress, get a good stretch, or build some strength. The latter is one area where yoga excels, particularly when it comes to your core.

Research consistently shows the benefits of yoga for core strength and stability, both of which come in handy on the mat, in your daily life, and as you tackle other types of workouts. “If you think about the functional aspect of training, yoga is, in my opinion, one of the most beneficial, safest, and well-rounded workouts you can do for your core,” says Peloton instructor Nico Sarani.

Many yoga poses tap into these important muscles, but certain ones reign supreme when it comes to activating your abs (and all the other muscles that make up your core). Read ahead to learn everything you need to know about using yoga for core strength, including which poses should take priority in your practice if that’s your goal.

The Importance of Having a Strong Core

You may have heard it before, but your core is about so much more than abs or aesthetics. It includes all the muscles surrounding your trunk that help to move, support, and stabilize your spine, according to the American Council on Exercise (ACE)—and in case it isn’t obvious, that’s a pretty important job. 

Your core is comprised of your internal and external obliques (which wrap around the sides of your trunk), the rectus abdominis (the “six pack” muscles on the front of your stomach), and the transverse abdominis (the deepest, corset-like layer of your core), Nico says. Your back muscles, and muscles in your pelvis and hips also belong to the core, she adds.

Together, these muscles protect your internal organs and spine and act as a foundation for all movements, according to the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM). Your core stabilizes your trunk to help you sit or stand upright, prevents injury when you lift something heavy, and helps transfer force and speed between your upper and lower body when, for example, throwing a ball or steering your skis down a mountain. Research confirms that a strong core helps stabilize your pelvis while you walk and run, improves dynamic balance and stability, and helps prevent injury. Namely, “strengthening the core supports the lower back, and may therefore prevent or help with back pain,” Nico says. 

This is all to say, core strength and stability are incredibly important, allowing you to move through your daily life and power through workouts and sports safely and efficiently. 

How Yoga Can Improve Your Core Strength

Yoga is inherently a fantastic workout for building core strength. “Through a combination of different postures, movements, and static holds, most yoga classes will usually use all the core muscles—the deep layers, the more superficial ones, the larger muscle groups, and the smaller ones,” Nico says.

The practice asks you to move in all directions, supporting your own body weight in different shapes, and working muscles in your whole body, including 360 degrees of your core. Think about the way your core is tasked with holding your body up in positions like Triangle Pose (Trikonasana), Chaturanga Dandasana in Sun Salutations, or Chair Pose (Utkatasana). These poses are unlike traditional ab moves like crunches, for example, which only work the muscles on the front of your stomach. 

Yoga’s slower pace also helps ensure you’re engaging your core properly. “Through slower movement patterns than in most other disciplines and thorough application of the breath, yoga teaches us to properly engage those muscles and strengthen them in a gentle but efficient way, while also training our mind-body connection,” Nico continues. “What’s more, we focus on proper alignment and good posture in yoga, and building good core strength goes hand in hand with that.”

Research backs up the power of yoga for core strength, suggesting that it can make a real difference even when practiced just once a week. A 2021 study published in Frontiers in Public Health, for example, recruited female college students to do a beginner-level, 1.5-hour-long Hatha yoga class once a week for 10 weeks. The researchers found that this dose of yoga was enough to result in significant positive changes in balance, flexibility, and core muscle strength.   

In addition to building strength, yoga also improves mobility, which plays a key role in maintaining a functional core. “Yoga practice doesn’t just strengthen the core muscles but also supports their development through gentle stretching,” Nico says. A 2017 research review published in the International Journal of Yoga, for example, shows that the increased hip and spinal flexibility afforded by yoga enhances the dynamic control of core stabilizing muscles and helps reduce lower back pain.

Compared to other workout types, the core connection in yoga goes a bit deeper—literally and theoretically. “Energetically speaking, in yoga, we see the core as our center,” Nico explains. “When we focus on that area of our body, be it through postures, movements, or mental focus, it’s also supposed to help us establish inner strength and a strong will, and sharpen our decision-making powers.” 

10 Best Yoga Poses for Core Strength

As Nico notes above, core work is a central part of yoga, and those muscles are sure to feel the benefit whether you’re specifically trying to work them or not. However, if you’re hoping to build core strength with yoga, these 10 poses—all favorites of Nico’s—are sure to do the trick. If you’re looking for a guided yoga workout, check out the Focus Flow: Core and Yoga Conditioning: Core classes on the Peloton App.

Boat Pose (Paripurna Navasana)

Boat Pose looks like a classic core move, and you’re sure to feel it in your abs. If it’s too difficult to lift your feet, keep them on the floor and focus on core engagement.

Plank Pose (Phalakasana)

Nico’s tip for a productive Plank Pose? “No spaghetti,” she says. “Hug your tailbone under, engage your core, and push your palms evenly into the ground.” To modify, lower your knees to the floor or take pressure off your wrists by lowering to a forearm plank. 

Side Plank Pose (Vasisthasana)

Side planks strengthen your obliques as well as your shoulders and the outside of your hips. To make the most of this yoga pose for your core, think about hugging your lower ribs in, Nico says. You can modify by lowering your bottom knee or take pressure off your wrist by lowering to your forearm.

Floating Tabletop (Bharmanasana)

The key to core engagement with this yoga pose is maintaining a straight spine, Nico says. Don’t allow your back to arch or round while you hover your knees off the floor.

Warrior 3 Pose (Virabhadrasana 3)

Warrior 3 is a classic balance pose in yoga, and a great core workout to boot. For help balancing, “keep your hip bones parallel and think about drawing the inside of the lifted leg up,” Nico says. As a modification, place a pair of yoga blocks on the ground directly in front of you at the tallest height.

Cobra (Bhujangasana)

Cobra Pose strengthens your lower back, a key but often overlooked part of the core musculature. “The back is part of the core muscles (specifically the lower back), so don’t neglect them!” Nico says. “Push your heart forward, gently hug the tailbone under, and draw your shoulders away from your ears,” Nico says. 

Locust (Salabhasana)

Like Cobra, Locust is another prone, backbending pose that helps strengthen the core and lower back.

Bridge Pose 

Bridge Pose strengthens your lower back, hips, and pelvis, Nico says. You can practice this pose with more core and glute engagement in mind (by stopping your hips from lifting further, your body forms a straight diagonal line) or turn it into more of a backbend by arching your back and opening your ribs.

Easy Seated Twist Pose

All yoga twists are great for activating and working the core muscles as well as massaging the internal organs, Nico says. Just remember to always twist deeper on the exhale, she notes. Seated Spinal Twist is a beginner-friendly active twist that will help you tap into the oblique muscles.

Crow Pose 

All yoga arm balances require core strength and therefore work your center, Nico says. These asanas, including Crow Pose, are for more advanced students who have already built proficient core strength, she adds.

Tips to Keep In Mind When Doing Yoga for Core Strength

There’s more to building core strength with yoga than hanging out in Boat Pose or Plank for the better part of a yoga class. Like with any other workout, consistency is key to seeing results. “A strong core doesn’t appear overnight,” Nico says. “Continuous practice is necessary to see results.”

Another pro tip from Nico: Don’t forget your breath. The diaphragm—the large, dome-shaped muscle under your lungs, which helps power breathing—is the upper border of your core, which inextricably links your breath to your core muscle engagement. In yoga, your breath is literally supportive: “Mindful exhales stabilize the core in any given pose,” Nico says. Consider practicing specific yoga breathing exercises that will help you deepen the connection between your breath and core.

Finally, remember what else you’re gaining from a yoga practice. There’s nothing wrong with having a goal of building a strong core and using yoga to get there. Just keep in mind all the other things you can gain from consistently hitting the mat.