The abs are part of your body's core musculature; along with glutes, pelvis, back and inner thighs. Strong core muscles make it easier to do most physical activities according to the Mayo Clinic's website. If you are not keen on going to the gym or you do not have access to any fancy equipment, work your abs with the help of a chair. Make sure you use a sturdy one.
Stretching
Stretching before your workouts is very important. If you do exercises with cold muscles, you run the risk of suffering an injury. Perform dynamic stretches that are done in motion to prevent this from happening. Trunk rotations, walking lunges with twists, leg swings, alternating toe touches, forward bends and shoulder shrugs are examples. Aim for 15 to 20 reps of each stretch.
Types
The abdominal area consists of the rectus abdominis and obliques. The rectus abdominis runs from the chest down to the pelvis, and the obliques are on the sides of the stomach. The goal in your chair workout is to work as much of this area as possible. Perform exercises that include knee pull-ins, seated rotations, situps and abdominal holds.
Function
Each ab chair exercise needs to be done with proper form to ensure you maximize your workout. Start the knee pull-in exercise while seated on the edge of the chair and your hands wrapped underneath it by your sides. Carefully extend your legs out straight in front of your body and slightly off the floor. Tuck your knees into your chest as you move your torso forward. Squeeze your abs forcefully for a full second, lower yourself to to the starting point and repeat.
Seated rotations target the obliques. Sit up straight in the chair, extend your arms straight in front of your chest and clasp your hands. Your back should be off the backrest at this point. Rotate your body as far to your right side as possible, then rotate all the way around to your left side. Continue to mover back and forth in a steady, but controlled motion.
Situps require the use of a sofa or training partner. Instead of sitting forward, turn your body sideways on the chair and hook your feet under the sofa or have your training partner place her hands on your feet. Position your hands on the sides of your head or cross them over your chest and lower your torso backward until it is about parallel to the floor. Lift yourself up to a seated position, squeeze your abs forcefully and repeat.
Abdominal holds are isometric exercises that require no repetitive movement. While sitting on the edge of the chair, grasp the front edge with your hands and lift your body in the air by fully extending your arms. Keep your knees bent when you do this and feel your abs contract. Hold this position until you feel fatigued and slowly lower yourself back down.
Time Frame
With the exception of abdominal holds, perform 15 to 20 reps of each exercise. Perform the abdominal hold for 30 to 45 seconds. Do four or five sets of each exercise and work out three days a week on alternating days. It might be tempting to work your abs every day, but this can lead to overtraining.
Considerations
If you are looking to further challenge your body, bring added resistance into your workouts. Wear ankle weights for your pull-ins and abdominal holds and hold a medicine ball in your hands for side rotations and sit-ups. If you don't have any of these tools, hold on to a gallon jug of water and pinch a heavy book between your lower legs to increase your resistance.
Misconceptions
When doing your ab workout, be aware that you will not be able to shed any fat that might be on your stomach. That would be spot reduction, which is not possible. If you want to reduce your belly fat, perform cardiovascular exercise four or five days a week.
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