Easy Abdominal Exercises

by Vijay Sharma
(Jammu,J & K,India)

1. Bicycle Crunch Exercise:-

1)Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
2)Place your fingers on the sides of your head just behind your ears.
3)Push your lower back into the floor flattening the arch and hold.
4)Bring your knees up to about a 45-degree angle and slowly go through a bicycle pedal motion.
5)Touch your left elbow to your right knee, then your right elbow to your left knee.

2. Crunch on an Exercise Ball

1)Sit on the exercise ball with your feet flat on the floor.
2)Let the ball roll back slowly and lie back until your thighs and torso are parallel with the floor.
3)Contract your abdominals raising your torso to no more than 45 degrees.
4)To work the oblique muscles, make the exercise less stable by moving your feet closer together.

3. Basic Ab Crunch

1)Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
2)Place your fingertips to the side of your head just behind your ears.
3)Push your lower back into the floor flattening the arch and hold.
4)Curl up slowly so both your shoulders lift off the floor a few inches.
5)Hold for a count of 2 and return to the start position.

4. Half Curl

1)Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
2)Place your palms on your thighs and curl up until your fingertips reach your knees as you breathe out.
3)Return to the start position.

5.Some of the breathing exercises of yoga also help in giving strength to the abdominal muscles.