The obliques are a large muscle group located on the exterior section of your abdomen. Bending and twisting at the waist can be used to stretch out these muscles in preparation for other forms of exercise. Stretching can also relieve any abdominal...
Before you begin to stretch, remember to warm your muscles with some light exercises. Go for a walk, do some jumping jacks or dance around the room to get your body ready for some simple standing abdominal stretches. With your feet no more than...
The cobra is one of the most basic yoga poses for the abdomen, chest and lower back, and can be adapted for basically anyone. Lie face down on a comfortable surface with your legs together and the tops of your feet flat on the floor. Bring your...
The yoga cat pose is not only a gentle ab stretch, it also works to warm-up your entire body, an important way to begin any stretching routine. Kneel on your hands and knees on a comfortable surface. Make sure you double your yoga mat or cushion...
While there are many types of yoga abdominal stretches, the standing side bend is simple and easy even for beginners. Stand with your feet about hip-width apart and lift your hands to the sky. Grip your right wrist with your left hand and inhale...
Chances are your abdominal muscles are tight and you don't know it. Sitting down frequently, whether in a car, at a desk or in front of the TV, contributes to the shortening of the muscles in the front of your body, including your abs. A simple...
Maintaining strong abdominal and back muscles, also known as core muscles, is important to maintain good posture. Maintaining this core strength during pregnancy becomes important as pregnancy progresses to maintain pelvic alignment and decrease...
Your abdominal muscles provide your body with balance and strength to stabilize your spine and neck through exercise and workout. Stretching and pulling on your abdominals through exercise can lengthen them, but excessive pulling and stretching...
Active abdominal stretching refers to moving your abdominal region and your torso in various directions or in one direction repetitively with rhythm and control, says physical therapist Chris Frederick, co-author of "Stretch to Win." This method...
Abdominal stretch bands are more commonly known as resistance bands. These elastic bands can tone your core and other body parts with exercises designed for use with free weights, meaning no machines. You might not burn as many calories doing...
You can stretch the sides and back of your abdomen with yoga standing poses. Standing poses can also develop core strength, balance and spinal alignment. Triangle Pose and Extended Side Angle Pose will give your sides a good stretch. The standing...
Your stomach muscles might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think about stretching. But keeping those core muscles flexible helps keep your spine strong, improves your posture and may help relieve your back pain. Stretching...
Abdominal pain can occur from a variety of causes, including muscle strains or pulls. An abdominal muscle strain can result in acute pain that can last about a day, while chronic pain can occur over weeks and months. Certain stretches can improve...
The lower abdominal muscles serve as a link between the trunk and the upper body, and can provide support to the lumbar spine as well. Sore or tight lower abdominal muscles can impair this region's ability to support the body and can place excess...
Your abdominal organs are separated by protective coatings that keep your organs in place and support moving and twisting in your body. After abdominal surgery, however, scarring known as adhesions can form in your abdominal cavity, causing pain...
Hormones present during pregnancy cause the abdominal muscles to soften and stretch to accommodate the growing fetus. This is especially true of the recti, running vertically from the sternum to the pubic bone. These abdominal muscles can...
Tightness in certain muscle groups may make you prone to injury. The sit-and-reach test has been used for decades to measure lower back and hamstring flexibility. Critics, however, argue that the sit-and-reach test does not offer a real-life...
Whether you’re preparing to work out or just want to loosen up at your desk, stretching is an effective way to strengthen and tone any of your body’s muscles, such as the hip flexors and abdominal muscles. These muscles play a central...
Lower abdominal pain can occur for many different reasons; common causes include muscle strains, illnesses such as the flu or a virus, or an inflamed organ such as your liver or kidneys. Regular exercise can ease mild sources of lower abdominal...
A myomectomy is a surgical procedure designed to remove benign fibroids that grow on the uterine wall. Fibroids are noncancerous growths made up of fibrous tissue that can grow on the uterus. Uternine fibroids only need to be removed if physical...
Most likely your exercise program includes a lot of work on your abs. But how often do you stretch your abs? Tight abs can lead to strains, tears and even hernias during exercise. Warming up and stretching your stomach muscles will help prevent...
Stretching your abdominal muscles increases torso extension that allows you to generate more force when you perform overhead throws, such as in soccer, baseball and judo. It also helps absorb shock in your pelvis and spine when you land on the...
Abdominal stretching helps you prevent a hunched posture and allow your abdominal muscles to produce force better, according to fitness professional Chuck Wolf, owner of Human Motion Associates. Incorporate full-body stretches rather than...
Flexibility exercises can be a great way to develop range of motion in your joints, but there are benefits that go far beyond just being able to move freely. The muscles of your abdomen are used during nearly every activity you undertake, so it...
Flexion is a movement of the body that causes a decrease in a joint angle. Bending the elbow to lift a coffee cup to your mouth is an example of flexion. The spinal flexors are the muscles that cause flexion at the spine. They consist of the...
An abdominal muscle tear is usually caused by inadequate stretching before exercise, forceful activity or a sudden twist or pull of the muscles. The rectus abdominis is commonly involved in this type of injury, but the external and internal...
The two oblique muscles span the sides of your abdomen, with the external oblique attaching to the outside of your lower eight ribs and the internal oblique to your lower four ribs on one end, and both to various structures in your pelvic area on...
Osteopaths go by the designation D.O. and have similar training, qualifications and licensing to doctors with the M.D. designation, according to the American Osteopathic Association. Doctors with an M.D. study what is called "allopathic" medicine....
Pulling a muscle is best described as a strain or tear to the fibers of your muscles. While this type of injury often affects the muscles of the lower back or upper leg, you may also suffer a strain along the abdominals. With golf, the repetitive...
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