You should get a flat stomach with this exercise in just two weeks!
Is a flat stomach your desire or is it your goal? With this exercise, you should already in two weeks reach the desired or incredible result. The exercise should also not be as strenuous as strenuous sit-ups. What is very important here is proper breathing, because this exercise activates and strengthens the abdominal muscles. In addition, this exercise should contribute to better posture and helped with lower back pain.
And what kind of exercise is it actually? A case of "abdominal vacuum". Fitness expert Rich Sturla recommends starting with simple exercises like pulling the stomach inward lies. This means that while lying down, inhale and pull the stomach in, hold it for a while and let it go. We can tackle all types of this exercise later, or we can do them as soon as we wake up. To begin with, let's try to hold the air for 15 seconds, eventually we can extend this, e.g. 60 seconds. It is also recommended to start with three sets of exercises and then increase to five.
How do we perform an "abdominal vacuum" on the back?
1. We start by lying on our back, legs bent, feet flat on the floor (or on the bed).
2. We exhale as much air as possible.
3. Then we pull the belly button towards us, as much as possible towards the spine. The more we pull it, the stronger the abdominal muscles are.
Once we have mastered the 60-second breath on the back, we can continue by doing this exercise in the dog position, i.e. leaning on our palms and knees. This exercise is much more difficult, mainly because we are working against gravity.
How do we perform the "abdominal vacuum" in dog position?
1. We start by getting into dog position, shoulders should be parallel to our elbows and wrists, hips to knees, neck in a neutral position.
2. After that, the exercise is the same: first we exhale as much as possible, and then we pull the navel in and try to hold our breath.
We start with 30-second breaths. The goal is to do three sets of 60-second breaths. For lower back pain and relaxation of the area around the waist, Surla recommends doing five sets. We can continue with the "abdominal vacuum" sitting. This is supposed to be an even harder version of the workout. Although in the previous one we struggle with gravity, this exercise also works the back muscles for stabilization.
How do we perform the "abdominal vacuum" sit-up?
1. We start by sitting on a stable surface, but we must not lean.
2. After that, the exercise is the same: first we exhale as much as possible, and then we pull the navel in and try to hold our breath.
You can see exactly how this exercise works and what all its variations are in this video by fitness instructor Kristen, better known as K's Perfect Fitness TV.
Every body is different, so it will react differently to this exercise as well. For some, the results will be lightning fast, for others it will take longer. But it is important that we persevere!
