Effective Abdominal Exercises

Want washboard abs that you can show off? Do you want to know the best exercises for firming and strengthening your abdominal muscles? Look no further! It is practically impossible to feel good about your health with those extra layers of fat in your abdomen. While the common abdominal exercises are good for strengthening your abs, they do little to reduce or redistribute your belly fat. There are literally thousands of abdominal exercises with many variations. There are also a wide array of fitness machines that promise washboard abs in just a few days. However, the good news is that there’s no need for you to buy an expensive fitness machines to work your abs. Did you know that the most effective and best abdominal exercises require nothing more than an exercise mat? Try these 10 exercises and get effective results. Start with exercises according to your comfort level and increase the repetitions as you go along.

Effective Ab Exercises

Abdominal Crunch

Lie flat on the exercise mat. Bend your knees and keep your feet firmly pressed on the floor.
Support your neck by lacing your fingers behind your head.
Contract your abdominal muscles and lift your shoulder and upper back off the floor. However, make sure that your lower back should keep touching the floor.
To attain the desired result, it is important to use your abdominal muscles and not your neck muscles.

Reverse Crunch

Lie on your back, bend your knees with your feet resting on the floor.
Keep your hands clasped behind your head.
Bring your legs upward to an angle of 90 degree, while keeping your knees bent.
Contract your abs and raise your hips off the floor. Stay in the position for a few seconds and then lower down. Repeat.

Bicycle Crunch

Lie flat with your lower back pressed to the floor.
Place your hands under the head with the fingers interlocked.
Bring your knees up to a 45 degree angle and go through the bicycle pedal motion.
Try touching your left elbow to your right knee and your right elbow to your right knee.
Breathe evenly throughout the exercise.

Crunch On An Exercise Ball

Sit on the exercise ball with your feet flat on the floor, clasp your hands behind your head.
Let the ball roll back until your thighs and torso are parallel with the floor.
Contract your abdominal muscles, raising your torso to no more than 45 degrees angle.

Vertical Leg Crunch

Lie on your back and extend the legs up with your knees slightly bent.
Contract your abs and raise your head until your shoulder blades leave the floor.
Keep your legs stationary in a fixed position.
Lift your torso toward your knees.
Lower your head and repeat the exercise 10-15 times.

Oblique Crunch

Lie flat with your knees bent and your feet firmly touching the floor. Place your hands under your head.
Lift your right foot, and with your right knee bent, place your foot across the left knee.
Curl your body upwards with a twisting movement, bringing your left shoulder towards your right knee. Slowly revert back to your original position.
Breathe out on the way up and in on the way down.
Do the same for the other side as well.

Long Arm Crunch

Lie flat on the floor with your arms over your head. Keep your hands clasped and your arms close to your ears.
Bend your knees and keep your feet flat on the floor.
Now, contract your abdominal muscles and lift your shoulder blades off the floor.
Revert to your original position and repeat.

Half Curl

Lie on your back with your feet flat on the floor. Place your palms on your thighs.
Contract your abdominal muscles and curl upwards, until your fingertips reaches your knees.
Breathe out as your curl upwards.
Lower yourself to the starting position and breathe in during this step.

Plank

Lie flat on your belly as if you are going to do push-ups.
Prop yourself up on your forearms and toes and keep your body straight and rigid like a plank.
Tighten your abdominal muscles.
Hold this position for 10 seconds. Increase the time over the course of a few days, depending upon your comfort level.

Alternating Superman

Lie face down on the floor with your arms stretched above your head.
Raise your right arm and left leg about 5-6 inches above the floor. Hold the position for a few seconds.
After a few repetitions, repeat the arrangement with the opposite arm and leg.

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