Exercises for Strong and Toned Abs | Abdominal exercise: Health Benefits, How to do?

What is the Abdominal exercise?

Abdominal exercise is a great exercise to strengthen your back, make you in shape and important core exercise that helps to stabilize trunk. This exercise have many health benefits, most popular exercise among fitness enthusiastic people.

The anterior abdominal muscles are made up of 4 muscle groups.The abdominal includes the transversus abdominis, rectus abdominis, external oblique muscles and internal oblique. This group of muscles helps to stabilize the trunk, The strong abdominal muscles provide organ stability and assist in flexion and rotation of the torso.Strengthening these muscles helps support the body’s frame and helps to reduce back pain and injuries.

By keeping your abdominal muscle strong, you can help to support your back and limit the amount of stress placed upon your spine. If you are suffering from back pain, consult your physical therapist (PT) and learn what you can do to comprehensively treat your pain.Your therapist can help you to find the best exercises for you, and he or she can explain to you attain and maintain good posture to keep your spine in its neutral position.

Health benefits by doing abdominal muscles strengthening exercise.

• Helps to Supports Better Posture
• Helps to improve Balance
• Helps to Supports Good Running Form “Core strength allows the hips, pelvis, and lower back to work together more smoothly with less rocking and less excess energy expended.
• This exercise Improve Stability If you have a weak core, you instantly heighten your risk of muscle injuries, lower back pain, and poor posture.
• Helps to Protects Your Organs
• This exercise Makes your Life Easier: Like bending down to pick something off the ground, long time standing, or performing household chores. That is why many core exercises fall under the umbrella of functional fitness: They can help you go about your day with more easiness, seriously it makes you more functional.
• This exercise can decrease or Prevent a Low back Pain
• This exercise Boosts Your Power
• This exercise Supports Strength Training
• This exercise Helps You Age Well: It stabilizes your whole body and gives you better balance and
• Posture, all of which can help you
• Prevent falls, prevent back pain, and keep you mobile as you get older.
• Helps to improve spine mobility.
• However, abdominal exercises can help to tone your belly somewhat by defining your abdominal muscles. And once you lose the tummy fat, you will likely discover that you have that six-pack hiding underneath.
• Many people aspire to gain stronger, leaner abdominal muscles (or abs). The abdominals are the muscles around the tummy and belly button and are often referred to as a “six-pack.” If you are interested in burning belly fat and getting a leaner midsection, here are a
• A few key factors to consider:
• Strong abdominal muscles: Focusing on exercises that develop core strength and stability can help develop toned abs.
• Genetics: Many people are genetically predisposed to abdominal fat. While that doesn’t necessarily mean you will always have it, you may have to step up your workouts to get the results you are hoping to achieve.
• Belly fat: You won’t be able to see your strong core muscles from the surface if there is a layer of body fat around you midsection. However, you can still have a strong abdominal and have a bit belly fat and still be considered healthy, especially if you are exercising regularly and following a well-balanced diet.

Types of Exercises to strengthen your abdominal muscles:

Abdominal Crunches for Your Abdominal Muscles

How to do it?

• This is a great exercise to do this will not place too much stress on your lower back and spine.
• For this exercise, you have to Lie on your back and flex your knees to a comfortable position Lock your hands behind your head or cross your arms in front of your chest now Curl your head, shoulders, and upper back off the ground.
• Your lower back should be in contact with the ground; you should only rise a 2 to 3 inches exhale as you rise.
• Hold this position for three to five seconds.
• Slowly return to the initial position. Repeat ten more times.

Low Ab Leg Raises

How to do it?

• For this exercise, you have to Lie on your back and flex your knees to a comfortable position
• Then extend your legs. Contract your abdominal muscles to lift your feet off the ground in an arc-like motion
• Lift your feet about ten inches up. Slowly (in the same arc-like motion) return your legs/feet to the ground.
• Repeat ten more times for two to three sets.

Twisting Sit-Ups

How to do it?

• This is a great exercise to get your obliques into action and work properly. for this exercise, you have to Lie on your back. flexed your knees to a comfortable position. Lock your hands behind your head
• Curl your head, shoulders, upper and lower back off the floor and angle your left elbow toward your right knee
• exhale as you lift
• Hold this position for five seconds. Slowly return to the initial position.
• Curl your head, shoulders, upper and lower back off the ground and angle your left elbow toward your right knee. Hold this position for five seconds.
• Again, exhale as you lift Slowly return to the initial.
• Repeat ten more times alternating your twisting motion. Keeping your abdominals working properly is the best way to stay in shape, and by regularly exercising and maintaining proper posture for your back, you may be able to stave off any attacks of back pain or sciatica.
• To get you started, you can’t do better than these 10 exercises when focusing on the abs.

Bent over rows

How to do it?

• You need dumbbells for this exercise that works the back and the abdominals.
• now you have to Stand with your legs shoulder-width apart and knees slightly flexed. grab a dumbbell in both hands, also at shoulder-width, with your palms facing each other.
• Bend over at a forty-five-degree angle (no lower) and inhale.
• Pull the dumbbells straight up, toward the sides of your chest, on the breath out.
• Take the upper arms no higher than parallel with the shoulders (slightly lower than the shoulders is fine).
• While lifting, keep the wrists from moving as much as possible. Lower the dumbbells in a controlled manner to the initial position as you breathe in.
• Do 10 to 20 repetitions for 2 to 3 sets.

Bicycle crunch

How to do it?

• This floor exercise is one of the great exercises to strengthen the rectus abdominis muscle.
• for this exercise, you have to supine lying on the ground. Press your lower back into the ground and flexed the knees while keeping your feet flat on the ground. Put your hands behind the head, interlacing fingers if preferred.
• elbows wide and gently cradle your head in your hands. Bring your knees up, with shins parallel to the ground, as you lift your shoulder blades off the ground. (Be careful not to strain or pull on your neck.)As you straighten your right leg out at about a forty-five-degree angle, turn your upper limb to the left, bringing your right elbow toward your left knee. Return to the initial position, with both knees flexed and elbows wide.
• Repeat on the other side extend your left leg to a forty-five-degree angle and turn your upper body to the right, bringing your left elbow toward your left knee. Return to the starting position to complete one repetition.
• complete 2 to 3 sets of 15–20 repetitions, resting for 30 seconds to one minute after each set.

Captain’s chair/hanging leg raises

How to do it?

• To perform a captain’s chair leg raise you need a chair and pull-up bar for an effective body weight now Stand in the captain’s chair frame and put your forearms on the padded armrests. hold the handles, if available.
• Check that your arm position is firm (stable arms enable you to raise your legs with proper form).
• keep Your back straight. Breathe in and engage your abdominal muscles to prepare for the leg raise. flexed your knees slightly and elevate your legs until your upper thighs are parallel to the floor.
• Lower your legs in a controlled movement, and breathe out as you go, until you are back in the initial position. your core muscle should be engaged.

Deadlifts

How to do it?

• To perform this exercise you need a barbell of lightweight to start this exercise.
• you have to stand with feet shoulder-width apart (or not much more) with toes under the barbell.
• The feet point straight to the head or they can angle out slightly. Heels should stay flat on the surface. When you raise it, the barbell will travel close to the shins and may even graze them.
• Your head and eyes) should reflect a neutral spine position neither crooked noticeably up or down, although a very slight upward tilt is not uncommon or unsafe when putting the effort in. Stabilize the abdominal muscles by bracing them. Squatting down, bending at the knees.
• The form for descending to the bar is similar (but not identical) to the squat, with the back straight or arched slightly and not rounded at the shoulders or spine. hold the barbell just outside the line of the knees with an overhand or mixed grip. Raise the barbell by pushing upward with the legs from the knees and exhale on exertion. Be careful not to elevate the hips first so that the trunk moves forward and the back becomes rounded.
• Do not try to haul the barbell up with your arms. The arms stay extended under tension. while gripping the barbell as the legs push up.
• Think of the legs and shoulders moving upward in unison with the hips the balancing point. They should almost graze the shins and come to rest around thigh level as you reach full height. Pull the shoulders back as much as possible without bending backward. Lower the barbell to the ground with a reverse motion ensuring a straight back again.
• Repeat for your desired number of repetitions.
• This barbell exercise enlists the abdominals to stabilize the body.

Fitness ball rollout

How to do it?

• Use an exercise ball for this exercise. this exercise targets the rectus abdominis muscle.
• to perform this exercise you have to Kneel on the ground with a stability ball in front of you or You can use a yoga mat to kneel on for extra cushioning. The ball should be within arm’s reach.
• Put your hands in a loose fist and place them on the ball. Your forearms will also rest on the ball. Make sure your elbows are flexed up to 90 degrees. Keep your body in a straight line with your back flat. Roll the ball forward with your hands as your arms and body straighten out. This motion needs to be slow and controlled. Keep your gaze looking straight ahead. Extend out as far as you can go. Your chest will touch the ball. Hold this position for two to three seconds.
• Slowly reverse the movement by bending your elbows to roll the ball back to the starting position. Keep your core tight, so your hips don’t drop.

Seated cable rows

How to do it?

• To perform this exercise you have to Sit tall, and your abdominals will get a workout stabilizing your body during this exercise. you have to Sit on the bench with your knees flexed and hold the cable attachment. It often has a triangle handle, but it may be a barbell. Position yourself with your knees slightly flexed so that you have to reach to hold the handle with outstretched arms yet without curling your lower back over. Engage the abdominals and you are ready to row. Pull the handle and weight back toward the lower abdomen while trying not to use the momentum of the row too much by moving the trunk backward with the arms. Utilize your upper and middle back by keeping your back straight and contracting your shoulder blades together as you row, your chest out.
• Return the handle forward under tension to full stretch, remembering to keep that back straight even though flexed at the hips.

Sit-ups

• Do sit-ups the right way to keep them safe.Instead of placing the hands behind the head, cross them in front of you or slide them along the thighs to the knee. flexed the knees at a forty-five-degree angle.
• for this exercise, you have to Lie on your back with flexed knees and your feet anchored. Tuck your chin into your chest to lengthen the back of your neck. Interlace your fingers at the base of your skull, cross your arms with your hands on opposite shoulders, or place your palms down alongside your body. breath out as you lift your upper limb toward your thighs. Breathe in as you slowly lower yourself back down to the ground.

Squats

How to do it?

• There have a lot of variations in squatting. Mix them up in your routines to challenge your body in new ways.
• for this exercise, you have to Stand with shoulder-feet width apart and toes facing front.
• move your hips back—flexed the knees and ankles and press your knees slightly open as you.
• Now flexed your knees until your thighs are parallel to the ground.
• Press into your heels and straighten your legs to return to your initial upright position.

When did you not do this exercise?

• If your doctor advised you to take a rest.
• If you are recently undergone abdominal surgery.
• If you feel any pain or discomfort during these exercises.
• If you have acute back pain, you take advise from Physiotherapist before doing any exercise.