Ab Exercises 

Classic Sit-ups – This is one ab exercise that everyone is probably familiar with.  We all had to do some amount in high school gym.  I don’t like them as much because it is more stressful on your spine than some of the others.  Most ab exercises will help your back.  When your stomach can support your trunk, you get less stress on you spine.  Here is what you do:

• Lie on the floor with your knees bent, pointing up. 
• Have something that you can prop your feet under, like a couch or someone else. 
• Set feet and pull your upper body to your knees. 
• Return back down. 
• Do as many as you can 

Lemon Squeezers/V-ups – Here is one of my all-time favorites for making your stomach stronger and give more functional strength.  That is what it is all about anyway…right?  Of course it is.   With a strong stomach comes a strong back.  It is because your muscles are much tighter and seem flexed more naturally, which holds up the weight of your upper body better.  It will take some getting used to but once you get proper form, you will see improvement even quicker.  Here is what you do:

• Lay on your back on the floor.
• Try and make your body one line with arms straight above head and legs straight.
• Pull your upper body up simultaneously with your legs.
• Try and touch your toes with your fingertips while balancing on your butt.
• Beginners don’t try too hard to touch your toes unless you are flexible.
• Then lay back down flat…this is one rep.
• Do as many as you can.
• For a real challenge try holding your last rep for 30 seconds.  Make sure to strain your stomach the entire time.

Reach to Side (ab | side exercise)– This flexibility exercise doubles as a midsection thinner too.  These will wake you up better in the morning if you add a few more ab exercises.   Once again this may be something that you have seen or done before.  It is quite simple, even for beginners.  Here is what you do:

• Stand up and reach your right arm straight up and the left straight down.
• Lean to your left and try and stretch your side abdominals.
• Once you hit your stopping point do SMALL bounces to try and stretch more.  

• Do this for 50-100 bounces and repeat with the other side.

Leg Lifts – Here is a great lower abdominal workout.  This works where most of us store the majority of our abdominal fat…around the belly button.  The longer you can hold your legs in the air each time the sooner you will begin to see results.  Just try not to overdo it the first week.  Here is what you do:

• Begin by lying on the floor with your arms to your side and legs straight out in front of you.
• Lift your legs up about six inches from the ground.
• Hold for 10-30 seconds and rest for no more than 10 seconds.
• Do as many as you can.
• Other variations include:
  • Up, out, in, and down.  Once your legs go up separate them as far as you can, bring them back in, and return down.
  • Lift both legs and do a scissor motion with them by in opposite direction, up and down while not touching the floor.