The abdominals are one of the most important muscle groups in the body. They are part of the core, which is where a lot of power and every day movement is generated from. Abdominal exercises are done to strengthen these muscles and help give them definition. Although there are numerous exercises that involve lying or hanging positions, there are are also plenty that you can do while seated.
Step 1
Contract your abs isometrically with a crunch hold. With isometric exercises, there is no shortening or lengthening of a muscle. Sit up straight in a chair with your arms down at your sides or lace them on top of your thighs. Squeeze your abs as hard as you can and hold for 10 seconds. Release, take a few breaths and repeat 10 to 12 times.
Step 2
Deploy the services of a training partner to do seated medicine ball throws. Sit on the ground with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Hold a medicine ball in your hands and lean back slightly until you feel your abs contract. Have your partner stand about 6 ft. away from you and throw her the ball. Have her throw it back to you and repeat 15 to 20 times. Maintain the slight backward bend the whole time to keep your abs engaged.
Step 3
Utilize a swiss ball to do side-to-side twists. Sit on the ball in an upright position with a medicine ball in your hands. Extend your arms straight in front of your body and rotate as far to the right as possible. Reverse the motion and rotate all the way to the left. Keep going back and forth 15 to 20 times.
Step 4
Pretend you are marching to do seated oblique crunches. Sit up straight on the edge of a chair or workout bench. Place your hands on the sides of your head and have your feet flat on the floor about hip width apart. Lift your left knee and bring your right elbow down toward it. Lower your foot back down, and bring your right knee up and angle your left elbow toward it. Lower your foot back down and continue going back and forth 15 to 20 times.
Step 5
Target your lower abs with a seated reverse crunch. Sit on the edge of a workout bench and grab the edge for support. Extend your legs straight out and lean back slightly. Pull your knees up toward your chest and move your body forward. Squeeze for a second and reverse the motion. Do 15 to 20 reps.
Tips and Warnings
- When you do crunch holds, do not hold your breath while you are squeezing. While doing the seated swiss ball side-to-side rotations, keep your head in line with the medicine ball the whole time. To increase resistance while doing the seated oblique crunches and the reverse crunches, wear ankle weights.
Things You'll Need
- Chair
- Swiss ball
- Medicine ball
- Partner
- Bench
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