With physical inactivity and unhealthy eating habits on the rise, it is no wonder that obesity is growing in the United States. Lack of physical activity, including strength training, is a large contributor to obesity. Abdominal exercises alone won't combat obesity in adult males, but they are an important component to a fitness program. Exercising the abs while standing up burns more calories and strengthens your ab, leg and butt muscles, making these exercises more effective for obese men than floor exercises that target the abs alone.
Balancing Act
The balancing act is an abdominal strengthening exercise done standing up. No equipment is necessary. To perform this exercise, stand up tall with your arms on your hips or glued to your sides. Look straight forward and fix your gaze on a single point. This will help you keep your balance. Squeeze your abs tight, but not so tight that you cannot breathe normally. Lift your right knee to waist level and slightly bend your left knee. Then, kick your right leg forward and flex your foot. Bend your right knee but keep it lifted to complete one rep. After you do the desired number of reps, switch legs and repeat. At no time should your stomach relax.
Cross Knee Crunch
The cross knee crunch is a simple ab exercise that also does not need any equipment. The abs must be squeezed and held in during the exercise for the abs to be worked. Stand up tall to perform the cross knee crunch with your feet hip-width apart. Lift your right heel off the floor and point your right foot. Raise your left arm to the ceiling and look forward. Then, lower your left elbow and raise your right knee. The right knee and left elbow bend. Bring the knee and elbow together in the center of your torso. Perform a standing crunch here because you bend forward slightly at the ribcage to bring your shoulders down so you can reach your elbow to your knee. Return both to the starting position and repeat on the other side.
Windmill
The windmill is a beginner kettlebell exercise for the abs, hips and upper body. The windmill involves spinal rotation, which uses the side abdominal muscles called the obliques and targets love handles. To perform the windmill exercise, stand up straight and hold the handle of a kettlebell in your left hand with the weight resting on the back of your wrist and forearm. Your elbow is bent at your side and your palm faces forward. Let your right arm hang at your side. Next, reach toward the floor with your right hand and lift your left hand to the ceiling. Incline forward from the waist as you do so and rotate your upper body to the left. Look up at your left hand. The back remains flat with the abs squeezed to support the lower back. Arms and legs stay straight. Return to the starting position and repeat on the other side.
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