Sun Salutation Exercise Guide
Reviewed by
Valerie Zeller
Printable version
Sun Salutation is a bodyweight exercise that works your abs.
Sun Salutation is a great basic move. When done correctly, it can effectively target your core and waist.
It requires no equipment to do.
How to do Sun Salutation
Exercise
Start by standing up straight with feet shoulder width apart, placing your hands together and grounding yourself with your feet.
Extend your arms skyward and bend your body inward and put your palms on the surface.
So either walk or leap back on both feet into a prone stance, forming a clear line across your body from your knees to your shoulders.
Push your hands forward in front of your arm and drop your body to around 2 inches off of the surface.
Begin to drop your body to the floor and then inhale while you bring your palms to the floor and curl up your arms into a Cobra stance.
Tuck your feet and raise your legs up high into a Downward Facing Dog, staying for 5 to 10 seconds and then ease back up to the standing pose.
Illustrated Guide
Learn how to do sun salutation from this step-by-step illustrations:
Muscles Worked
The muscles used for sun salutation may change slightly based on the your trained range of motion and technique, but in the most general case, the muscles used for sun salutation are:
Primary Muscles
- Abs
Synergyst Muscles
Frequently Asked Questions
Training, Progressions and Regressions
Interested in how to improve your Sun Salutation faster?
Sun Salutation Training and Progressions
Standards and Averages
Wonder how do others perform in Sun Salutation and how should you?
Sun Salutation Standards and Averages
Alternatives
Wonder how to work the same muscles with other exercises?
Variations
Wonder how to make Sun Salutation either easier or more challenging?
Discover more
Classification
| Type(s) | Bodyweight, Calisthenic, Strength, Compound |
| Muscles Worked | Abdominals |
| Difficulty Level(s) | Basic, Easy |
| Equipment | No Equipment |
| Location | At Gym, At Home, Outdoor |
Muscles Worked
| Target muscle(s) | Abs |
| Synergyst muscle(s) |
