Three Abdomen Exercises That Really Work

January 9, 2009

1.Standing Stabilizer: This forces your core muscles to keep your body balanced as your centre of gravity shifts.

A.Stand with your feet parallel,hip-width apart.Place hands on hips.Inhale as you raise right knee in front;stop at hip level.Pull belly button in an hold.Use a wall or chair for stability if necessary.

B.Holding abdomen tight,extend leg to straight and make a quarter-circle with toe to bring leg out to side.Lower;repeat 10 times.Switch legs.Do two to three sets.

2.Foot Push: Since legs and hips are heavier and harder to lift than your upper body,this move is more challenging than a crunch.

>>Lie on back,hands at sides,holding legs in the air straight out from hips.

>>Exhale and contract abdomen by pulling belly button toward spine while pushing feet to the ceiling.Hips will tilt forward slightly and legs will lift up a few inches.Hold;then inhale as you lower and repeat 15 times.Do one to two more sets of 15.

3.Reverse Rotation: A variation on the elbow-to-knee crunch,this move works the obliques(the muscles that cover your ribs and sides) and back muscles.

>>Lie on stomach with elbows out to the sides and chin resting on both hands.

>>Keeping abdomen tight,exhale as you raise chest a few inches off the floor and rotate chest to the right;hold.Rotate back to centre and then to the left;hold.Inhale as you lower;repeat 10 times on each side.Then do one to two more sets of 10.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3t7IQRHbTk