A spinal fusion is necessary to create spinal stability. Stability may have been compromised by injury or a degenerative disorder, such as osteoarthritis or stenosis. Fusions may take six months or more to heal, with limited mobility in the interim. Rehabilitation includes strengthening the abdominal muscles to prevent future instability. Working with your surgeon and physical therapist to develop a program at the right phase of healing is imperative to preventing fusion failure or re-injury.
Like most muscles, your abdominals tend to weaken with age unless you continually require them to bear more than their customary load. Strong abdominal muscles help prevent back problems, improve your posture and help keep your...
Your stomach muscles, along with muscles in your back, hip and pelvis, form what's referred to as your core. According to MayoClinic.com, most sports depend on having stable core muscles. It's no wonder, then, that playing spor...
A cesarian section involves incisions across your lower abdomen, internal layers of tissue and uterus. The surgeon may need to cut through abdominal muscle as well, but he may be able to part the muscle fibers without cutting. ...
Dancing is also fun, which helps you stay more engaged and makes working out less of a chore. Some dance moves and styles also engage your core so that you strengthen your stomach and back muscles as you burn off calories.
Fat is needed for such bodily functions as storing vitamins and energy. But as with many things, excess can be detrimental to your health. Excess fat around the abdomen is called subcutaneous fat and lays just under the skin an...
During pregnancy, your body undergoes several changes to carry your child and to prepare for labor. After delivery, you might find that your stomach muscles are weaker and there is an extra layer of fat. Your doctor may ask you...
"Abs" is the shortened form of the term "abdominal muscles," which is used to describe the group of muscles that make up your stomach --- thus, when you tighten your stomach muscles, you're tightening your abs. These muscles ar...
During pregnancy, the muscles in the abdomen widen, making space for the belly to expand and giving the fetus room to grow. Once the baby is born, the muscles should return to normal as part of recovery. Some mothers may have c...
The muscles around your waist, including your abdominals, obliques and lower back, all work to provide stability while running. Running does not work these muscles directly, but they do receive indirect work helping you balance...
The situp is perhaps the most famous exercise for the abdominal muscles. Performing the exercise regularly burns calories and increases your muscular endurance and strength, enabling the involved muscles to function capably and...
The act of riding a bicycle strengthens your stomach muscles. It is your core that balances you while on a bicycle. Without your abdominal muscles contracting to hold you in the saddle, you would not be able to keep the bike up...
The obliques run down the sides of the stomach and the rectus abdominis is the main muscle in the middle of the stomach. Strengthening these muscles naturally means you need to rely on exercise instead of a magic pill or supple...
Performing exercises with a stability ball strengthens all the core muscles -- the muscles of the abdomen and lower back. This avoids the trap many athletes fall into of working only the abdominal muscles while neglecting the b...
Pilates is a method of exercise that is designed to stretch and strengthen the body to help it maintain balance and alignment. It promotes muscle control without muscle tension throughout the core muscles of the body. Pilates e...
A common misconception among gym-goers is that you can tone one area of your body with targeted workouts. Toning your stomach muscles involves increasing lean muscle all over your body. Including abdominal workouts in your tota...
The muscles of your stomach and abs make up a large portion of your core muscles. Strengthened core muscles increase your ability to perform a number of other sports, exercise or physical activities. Whether you are working out...
The true way to lose weight in one or multiple areas is to perform cardio and cut down on your calories. Situps are commonly used for the attainment of stomach-fat reduction. Although they cannot do that, they can harden up you...
Considering the fact that our stomach is made up of four different muscles, one of the easiest ways to target the muscles of the stomach is to work them individually and with minimal equipment. This will also allow you to focus...
Strong stomach muscles help stabilize your spine and protect your organs. Although crunches and abdominal exercises will help tone your midsection, cardiovascular and strength-training exercises tone your stomach muscles by eng...
Sore stomach muscles are most often caused by working out, but they can have a number of causes apart from the exercise. These may include such diverse causes as a hernia, a desmoid tumor or pregnancy. You should seek medical a...
Keeping your muscles toned and excess fat at bay is important for your entire body. It might be even more essential for your midsection, since having excess abdominal fat puts you at risk for several diseases and chronic condit...
When you need to target your abs or midsection for more attention, skip the situps. Online videos from a variety of health and fitness sites let you tone up your stomach muscles with diverse and effective exercise routines.
Each organ that food passes through has a specialized job. From breaking down the molecules of nutrients, absorbing the nutrients and finally soaking up excess water, your digestive system gets all it can from the food you eat....
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...
The rectus abdominis is the "six-pack" muscle in the front of the abdomen; the obliques run diagonally along the front and sides of the abdomen; and the transverse abdominis wraps around the abdomen. To tone your stomach, you m...
But donning special shoes may provide effortless improvement in your posture and stomach muscle tone. Toning shoes can improve the efficiency of your daily routine. Whenever you walk anywhere, the shoes will help realign your s...
If you're looking to lose weight, focusing on the stomach muscles isn't a great idea. "Spot" exercises like sit-ups will tighten muscles, but they don't burn visceral fat quickly. If you recently lost weight; however, and you w...
Strong stomach muscles can be attained through a strength-training regimen. Strength training not only improves muscular strength, it also burns fat and replaces it with lean muscle. In addition, this form of training also incr...
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 ...
During ballet class, you have probably heard your teacher talk about the importance of strong "deep abdominal" muscles. She's referring to the transverse abdominis, which runs directly underneath the "six-pack" muscle -- it mus...
Your Transverse Abdominis, or TA, muscle is located in your stomach and acts like a girdle to support your torso. This muscle is located deep within the stomach and can be strengthened through an isometric --- little or no move...
A hysterectomy is usually performed through an incision in either the vagina or the abdomen. An abdominal hysterectomy is a more invasive surgery that requires cutting through abdominal muscles. Check with your surgeon to know ...
Strengthening your stomach muscles is an integral part of staying in shape. According to MayoClinic.com, by strengthening your core you improve your stability and balance as well as become stronger with everyday physical activi...
Osteoporosis commonly affects the spine and the hips. According to MayoClinic.com, a regular exercise program is an effective and safe way to treat and prevent osteoporosis by increasing bone and muscle strength and mass. Your ...
The lateral stomach muscles, which include your internal and external obliques, quadratus lumborum, and transversus abdominus, are connected to each other and to pelvic floor muscles by connective tissues and nerves. They work ...
But these devices can't turn a flabby stomach into a six-pack. Abdominal electric stimulation belts are mainly for medical use, such as muscle retraining. The Slendertone abdominal stimulation belt, however, has shown to im
Exercising without using stomach muscles is necessary if you are pregnant, had a C-section, an appendectomy, abdominal tear or strain or any other condition that may be aggravated by movement in the abdominal region, according ...
Your stomach muscles, or abdominals, play an important role in bending your trunk backwards and forwards and in balancing the actions of your spinal muscles, helping to protect the back muscles. According to Joyce Vedral, autho...
Many people do traditional abdominal exercises for strength and toning, such as sit-ups, leg lifts and similar exercises. However, these are not the best ways to strengthen you abs or improve athletic performance. According to ...
Len Kravitz at the University of New Mexico, the abdominal muscles are the primary supporting muscles for the spinal column. Weakness in these muscles isn't merely cosmetic, it endangers the structure of the back and vertebrae,...
Your stomach muscles form an integral part of your core musculature, which stabilizes and supports your body as you perform everyday or athletic movements. In a general sense, you should be using your stomach muscles to help st...
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 muscle injuries. Do gentle stretches before your str...
In order get the stomach lean and display abdominal musculature, heed a healthy diet and rigorous exercise program. Stomach muscle exercises target the abdominal region and give the muscles definition. Women can perform most of...
Every ab workout should work the four stomach muscles: transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, and the internal and external obliques.
Overworking or improperly performing stomach exercises can have a negative impact on the lower back. However, it is also important to strengthen muscles around the trunk of your body because this decreases the possibility of a ...
Toning and strengthening your stomach requires combining exercises to work the muscles of your abdominals from multiple angles. Your abs are made up of three muscles that run along the front of your stomach, the sides of your t...
All women experience slight abdominal wall separation during pregnancy; however, if you have diastasis, be careful when performing any stomach exercises. Once you have determined if you have diastasis, you may begin corrective ...
The stomach muscles are known more commonly as the abs. Strengthening this band of muscle cannot only help define your midsection, but it can also help prevent lower back pain. Exercises for the stomach should be done from vari...
The stomach muscles compose part of the area known as "the core." Working these muscles can help improve your sports performance, reduce your chances of lower back pain, and enable you to do daily functions more optimally. To b...
The abdominal muscles are often the missing link in many people's quest for a great physique. They also play an important and functional role in movement. If you train for strength and function, your physique will follow, prov...
A grade two abdominal muscle strain hurts immediately and is sore to the touch. In a grade three strain, or a full rupture of the abdominal muscle, you feel a stabbing or burning pain right away and movement of any kind causes ...
Gymnasts, pole vaulters and weightlifters are among some of those who suffer abdominal muscle injuries. Without enough time to fully recover from a ruptured stomach muscle, the injury can end up inflamed and cause more discomfo...
