Dominic Stone
Improving your abdominal muscles is essential for developing a strong core and improving your overall strength, balance, and
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Core muscles | Transverse abdominis, multifidus |
| Core exercises | Crunches, toe taps, planks, side planks, leg lifts, bird dog, boxer oblique crunches, forward ball rolls, Russian supine twists |
| Core exercise tips | Inhale and bring belly button towards spine, tighten core, brace core, draw in, stabilize body |
| Core exercise equipment | Stability balls, fitness balls, yoga, tai chi |
| Core exercise guidelines | 20-30 minutes of strength training 2-3 times a week, 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise most days of the week |
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Planks
Neutralize your neck and spine by looking at a spot on the floor about a foot beyond your hands, ensuring your head is in line with your back. Keep your back flat and your abs engaged to get your core working effectively. Avoid dipping your hips too low, and keep your eyes on the floor to maintain a neutral neck position.
Breathe deeply and naturally throughout the exercise. Holding your breath can bring on dizziness and nausea. When you're first starting out, aim to hold the plank position for 20 to 60 seconds. As you get more comfortable, you can increase the duration to challenge your body further.
You can also try variations of the plank to engage different muscle groups. For example, a side plank targets your obliques (the side muscles of your core). To do this, lie on your side with one leg stacked on the other, then prop your body up on your hand or elbow while keeping your feet stacked. To make it more challenging, you can raise the opposing arm or leg, or both, in the air.
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Crunches
To perform crunches, lie on your back on an exercise mat with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart. Cross your arms over your chest or place your hands behind your head, whichever you prefer. If you choose to put your hands behind your head, be careful not to pull on your head or neck as you crunch, as this could strain your back. Inhale, then exhale and engage your core muscles to lift your shoulder blades off the ground. Hold for a second, then slowly lower your shoulder blades to the floor as you inhale again. That's one rep.
As you build core strength, you can increase the number of reps or the number of sets you do. For example, you could start with 3 sets of 20 crunches and increase from there.
It's important to note that crunches can put a lot of strain on your spine, especially if you have a history of neck or back pain. If you experience pain during, immediately after, or the day after doing crunches, it's recommended to choose a different core exercise.
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Leg lifts
To perform a basic leg lift, lie on your back with your hands at your sides, palms down, and your knees bent. You can also place your arms by your sides, with your hands under your hips, and your palms facing down. Tighten your abdominal muscles and lift your legs up towards the ceiling. Slowly lower your legs back to the ground for about 4 seconds, and repeat. You can also try this exercise with one leg at a time, or by crossing your legs and uncrossing them.
If you are a beginner, you can try lifting one leg at a time, either lifting and lowering one leg for a set of reps, and then repeating with the other leg. You can also try lifting and lowering each leg alternately for a set of reps. Decreasing your range of motion with smaller movements will help you target your muscles. Focus on stability through the spine and hips.
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Toe taps
To perform toe taps, lie on your back with your arms alongside your hips. Lift your legs up and bend your knees so that they are right over your hips and your shins are parallel to the floor. Tighten your core and lower your right foot, gently tapping the floor. Keep your left leg still and your back flat. Raise your right leg back to the starting position. Repeat this with your left leg. You can start with 1 set of 8 to 12 reps and work your way up.
To make this move more challenging, you can tap both feet on the mat simultaneously while maintaining a 90-degree angle at the knees. You can also hold a light weight in your hands as you lift up with your core muscles. If you want to focus on your obliques, which are responsible for rotation and side-bending, you can try other moves like bicycle crunches, mountain climbers, or hanging leg raises.
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Pilates
To activate your core, start by focusing on your breath. Take a deep breath in, allowing your belly to expand, and then exhale fully, drawing your belly button in toward your spine. This engages the deep abdominal muscles.
- Start by lying on your back with a neutral spine (the natural ‘S’-shaped curve is maintained, and you have a small space under your lower back).
- Exhale and float your legs up to a tabletop position.
- Inhale.
- Exhale to engage your transversus abdominis, and extend your right leg out to 45 degrees.
Another Pilates exercise is the bicycle crunch:
- Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
- Draw your pelvic muscles up and in and your deep lower abdominal muscle toward your spine.
- Lift one leg at a time, bringing your hips and knees to 90 degrees.
- Make sure your pelvis is in a neutral position with a slight curve in your lower back (not pressed flat to the floor).
- Hold for as long as you can, building up to two minutes.
- To advance the exercise, lower one foot down to the floor with control, using your core muscles.
- Touch your toes to the floor, and inhale as you lift back up.
- Repeat on the other side. That's one rep.
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Frequently asked questions
Some exercises that can help strengthen abdominal muscles include crunches, toe taps, planks, and side planks.
Lie on your back with your knees bent and hands placed beside your head or across your chest. Contract your abdominal muscles and lift your shoulder blades off the floor.
Start on your hands and knees, then place your forearms on the floor and extend your legs. Keep your body in a straight line from your head to your toes. Hold this position for 30 seconds and repeat for 3 sets.
Remember to always warm up before doing any exercise and listen to your body to avoid injury. It is also important to strengthen the core muscles along with the abdominal muscles, as this helps stabilize the body and support the spine.
