Yoga can be helpful for your well-being and your abs. A variation of navasana, the extended leg slide-ups is a Yoga exercise that strengthens both the upper and lower abdomen, as well as the neck.

If this pose bothers your neck, support your head by putting both hands behind it. If the problem persists, stop.

  1. Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor, at hip width.

  2. Bend your left elbow, and place your left hand on the back of your head just behind your left ear.

  3. Raise the left leg as close to vertical (90 degrees) as possible, but keep your knee slightly bent.

  4. Draw the top of your foot toward your shin, to flex your ankle, and place your right palm on your right thigh near your pelvis.

  5. As you exhale, sit up slowly halfway and slide your right hand toward your knee.

    Keep your left elbow back in line with your shoulder, and look at the ceiling. Don’t throw your head forward.

  6. Repeat Steps 1 through 5 six to eight times, and then repeat Steps 1 through 6 on the other side.

    [Credit: Photograph by Adam Latham]
    Credit: Photograph by Adam Latham

About This Article

This article is from the book:

About the book authors:

Larry Payne, PhD, is the founding president of the International Association of Yoga Therapists and was named one of America’s most respected yoga teachers by the Los Angeles Times. Georg Feuerstein, PhD, was internationally respected for his contribution to Yoga research and the history of consciousness.

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