You don’t have to lie down on the floor to work your abs
Many abdominal exercises are performed while lying on the floor, but for some people getting up and down can be difficult. The seated ab crunch is a great alternative, and a suitable option for strengthening the midsection conveniently at home, at the office, or anywhere a chair, bench or other study surface is available.
Keeping the abdominals strong is important as it provides stability to the low back, improving posture and balance. The abdominals and low back work together to act as a natural girdle, surrounding your entire waistline and protecting the spinal column and organs.
To perform:
While seated in an upright position,placefingertipsbehindtheneck for support as shown in Photo 1. Look straight ahead, and to prevent slouching, maintain a neutral spine, meaning that the natural curves of the spinal column are held in place throughout the exercise.
Slowly lean backward as shown in Photo 2. You should feel the abs tighten. Do not round the back or let the feet leave the floor. Pause briefly before returning to an upright position. If using a chair, try to sit far forward enough so that when you are leaning you will not touch the back of the chair.
Variations:
If you find the seated crunch too difficult, instead of placing the fingertips behind the neck, fold the arms across the chest. On the other hand, if not challenging enough, hold a dumbbell or other weight across the chest or at arms length to increase resistance.
To incorporate the obliques (sides of the waist), twist slowly to one side and then the other, while in the reclining position.
To target more of the lower abdominals, lean back and lift both feet from the floor, bringing the knees as far toward the upper body as possible. The greater the bend at the knees, the easier, so for a greater challenge, work toward keeping legs straight or nearly straight while lifting them from the floor.
Tips:
Beginners should start with one to two sets, performing as many repetitions as possible with good form. As always, if you have preexisting medical conditions or are unaccustomed to exercise, check with your doctor before starting a fitness program.
It is not necessary to perform abdominal exercises every day. Instead, work the muscles to fatigue and then give them a day or two of rest before repeating, as you would any other muscle group. If you have achieved a strength level that you are satisfied with, you can perform abdominal exercises each day, but this would be for the purpose of maintaining, rather than increasing, strength. Simply put, to gain strength, the muscles must be worked to a level where they are truly fatigued, thereby needing proper recovery time.
Last but not least, remember that you cannot spot reduce. The purpose of resistance training is to ensure a better quality of life, making everyday tasks much easier to accomplish. To reduce the size of the midsection, it is necessary to consume a calorie appropriate diet and get sufficient aerobic activity along with regular strength training workouts.
Marjie Gilliam is an International Sports Sciences Master certified personal trainer and fitness consultant. She owns Custom Fitness Personal Training Services LLC.