Strong, toned abdominal muscles support and stabilize your lower back, assist in digestion and enhance your physical appearance. Planning an abdominal-exercise firming program requires a sculptor's sense of symmetry and definition. Success depends on your ability to select exercises for all the abdominal muscles' functions, and perform them using meticulous form. Consult your doctor before beginning any new exercise regimen.
Abdominal Muscle Function
A detailed understanding of abdominal muscle function helps you select the most effective exercises. The transversus abdominis is your deepest layer of abdominal muscle, responsible for posture and spinal stabilization. During exhalation, these muscles compress the diaphragm to expel the air. The rectus abdominis is the large, external abdominal muscle in the center of your stomach. It engages during spinal flexion exercises, such as situps and crunches. The internal and external obliques lie along the sides your abdominal area and facilitate upper-torso rotation and lateral bending.
Exercise Selection
Exercise specialists do not always agree on the best abdominal exercises. Your body type influences your exercise selection. People with exceptionally long legs or tight hip flexors, for example, may experience discomfort during exercises that require the legs to extend and lift from the floor. These exercises also challenge people with excessive lumbar curvature, because they will not be able to keep their backs on the floor. If you have chronic neck and shoulder pain, exercises that keep your head lifted from the floor for extended periods may exacerbate these conditions.
Aerobic Exercise
You might have strong, well-defined abdominal muscles, but excessive body fat will hide your muscle tone. Abdominal firming exercise will not reduce subcutaneous abdominal fat, University of New Mexico exercise physiologist Len Kravitz explains. Dietary modification and aerobic exercise will burn excess fat and reveal the muscle hidden beneath the layers of fatty tissue. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends at least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise on most days of the week, but suggests that severely overweight people should extend their sessions to one hour.
Core Exercise
While the dead bug is an effective core exercise when performed correctly, some people find it too subtle. Performing this exercise on a foam roller is not subtle. Place the roller in a vertical position on an exercise mat. Lie supine, with the top of your head and the base of your spine centered on the roller, your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Breathe in to prepare for the exercise. Exhale, draw your belly in and lift your right leg to a 90-degree angle. Simultaneously raise your straight left arm above your head. Remain in position and take a small breath in, but avoid expanding your belly during the inhalation. Exhale to return to the starting position. Repeat on the opposite side. Continue for as many repetitions as you can perform with a stable spine. Loss of balance may indicate core muscle fatigue.
Obliques
The bicycle maneuver received high rankings in a study of abdominal exercises sponsored by the American Council on Exercise. This exercise works the obliques and the rectus abdominis. Lie supine with your legs lifted and extended. Choose an angle that allows you to keep your lower back flat against the floor. Place your hands behind your head, and perform a small head nod to align your neck. Lift your head and shoulders from the floor. Bend your right knee and rotate your upper torso, so your left shoulder moves toward your right hip. Return to center and repeat on the other side. Perform 20 repetitions.
Rectus Abdominis
The exercise ball crunch also scored highly on the ACE survey. Since the stability ball imposes a balance challenge, it works your core muscles in conjunction with your rectus abdominis. Sit on the ball and walk your feet forward, until your spine is against the ball's surface. Place your hands behind your head to support your neck. Exhale forcefully and flex your upper torso, so that your ribcage moves toward your pelvis. Return to the starting position with control. Perform 20 repetitions.
References
- University of New Mexico; SuperAbs Resource Manual; Len Kravitz, Ph.D.
- Better Health; Abdominal Muscles; Oct. 6, 2010
- Telco Club; Move of the Month: Dead Bug on a Foam Roller; 2010
- American Council on Exercise; New Study Puts the Crunch on Ineffective Exercises; Mark Anders; May 2001
- American College of Sports Medicine: Physical Activity Guidelines
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