All-Star Stomach Exercises
There are a lot of stomach exercises out there for those who need to shape their core and tone up their middle. This might be both a blessing and a curse. It is easy to find a lot of exercises and routines that work the midsection, but how does one find out which ones are any good? Well, listed here are what seem to be a few of the best around, according to testimonials by fitness experts. If you would like to work on your stomach, but are not sure where to start, then this “all-star team” may be a fine jumping off point. As with any workout routine, make certain to confer with a professional before beginning and always warm up properly to fend off injury.
Crunchless Crunch
Regular crunches are great for working the rectus abdominus (the muscles at the front of your stomach), but they do very little for the transverse abdominal muscles deeper in the middle, plus they tend to put strain on your back and neck. This 1st exercise corrects that, working the transverse muscles with no back or neck strain. Basically, it involves trying to pull the belly button in toward the spine. This can be tricky, as it calls for using muscles which you might not be used to activating. To start, either lie on your abdomen or kneel. You may want to try both ways and see which helps you feel the exercise better. Relax your body as much as possible, then try to use only the lower abdominal muscles to move your navel toward your backbone. Hold for 10 seconds. If holding for 10 seconds feels comfortable, hold for a longer period. The goal is to hold the contraction until you either cannot feel it, or you feel other muscles working harder than the transverse abdominus. When you feel this, let the contraction out.
Hip Lift
Stay on your back for this stomach exercise. Put your arms at your sides with palms facing to the ceiling. Put your legs straight up in the air so that the bottoms of your feet are facing the ceiling and your legs make about a 90 degree angle with your trunk. Keep your knees unbent and as straight as possible. Now, contract your abdominal muscles so that it feels like your navel is being pulled toward your back, while at the same time gently lifting your hips off the floor. Raise your hips to the height of a few inches, all the while keeping your legs extended straight upward. Hold this position, then slowly bring your hips back to the floor. Repeat for an full set.
Long Arm Crunch
For this stomach exercise, remain on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat. Lie back and extend your arms straight back on the floor as though you are reaching above your head. Contract your abdominal muscles and slowly lift your arms, head and shoulders off the floor to about a 30 degree angle. Hold it, then slowly lower your shoulders back to the floor. Repeat for a whole set. Be careful not to lead with your arms, keeping them straight and alongside your head.
Some other honorable mentions include the vertical leg crunch, trunk twists, and any Pilates routine that accentuates the core. Feel free to explore some of these workouts more once you have mastered the three above. Now that you are armed with some of the better tummy exercises, you are on your way to a leaner tummy!
