There are various ways to get a slim and athletic stomach. One of them is by exercising the abdominal muscles. However, the results are not instant. To get a slim stomach shape, you need to exercise your abdominal muscles regularly with the right exercise movements.
Abdominal muscle training is a type of exercise to build and increase the strength of the abdominal muscles, as well as reduce the size of the stomach. Not only that, this exercise can also improve the function of the spine and lower back, train breathing, and maintain body flexibility and balance.
Various Abdominal Exercises You Can Do
There are many exercises that can be done to help build abdominal muscles and reduce belly fat. You can do this exercise yourself at home or at the fitness center (gym). If done consistently, this exercise can make your dream of having a slim stomach come true.
Here are some abdominal exercises that you can try:
1. Crunch
Movement crunch almost like sit-up. However, this movement only lifts the upper body, namely the head and shoulders. Apart from the abdominal muscles, crunch can also train and strengthen the muscles of the shoulders, arms, buttocks, and legs.
Movement crunch done in the following way:
- Position your body lying on your back while bending your knees and place the soles of your feet touching the floor.
- Place your arms on your chest cross-legged, then lift your body until your stomach feels tight. When lifting your body, try to keep your neck and shoulders relaxed.
- After that, inhale while lying back down and repeat the crunch movement 10-15 times.
2. Variations crunch
Apart from movement crunch standard above, you can also do some variations of the movement crunch sas a form of abdominal muscle training, such as:
Bicycle crunch
This movement begins with a lying position on your back and your hands are placed behind your head and your elbows are positioned forward.
After that, lift both legs and do the pedaling motion. When the left knee approaches the head, bring the right elbow to the left knee, then do the same movement on the right knee and left elbow. Do this movement up to 10-15 times (counting 1 set), and repeat for 2-3 sets.
Vertical leg crunch
This movement also begins by lying on your back while placing your hands behind your head to support it, then lifting your legs straight up to form a 90 degree angle.
After that, slowly raise your shoulders towards the raised knee and lower it back down to the starting position. Repeat this movement 12–15 times, and repeat for 2–3 sets.
3. Plank
Plank is one of the abdominal muscle exercises that is quite effective for making the stomach slim and strengthening the lower back muscles. Here's how to do a plank the right way:
- Start in a prone position, then lift yourself up by supporting your forearms and toes.
- Then, keep your body in a straight line from head to toe. When in this position, you will feel your stomach muscles tighten.
- Hold this position for 20–60 seconds and repeat 3-5 times.
Movement plank can also be done with other variations, one of which is side plank. This movement aims to tighten the side abdominal muscles and leg muscles.
To do this, lie on the left side of your body, then lift yourself up by resting on your left forearm. Make sure your shoulders, hips and knees form a straight line. Hold this position for 5-10 seconds and repeat 8-10 times. After that, repeat on the right side of your body.
4. boat pose
boat pose is one of the yoga poses that can strengthen the core muscles of the body, namely the stomach, back, and pelvis. This movement can also improve posture and train body balance.
This movement can be done in the following ways:
- Start in a sitting position while bending your knees and placing both feet on the floor.
- After that, lean back and slowly lift your legs off the floor until your body forms a V shape.
- Hold this position for 20–30 seconds while adjusting your breathing pattern, then bring your body back to its original position. Repeat this movement for up to 3-5 minutes.
In addition to the abdominal exercises above, you can also get a slimmer stomach shape by regularly doing other sports, such as jumping rope, swimming, cardio, and pilates.
To get a slim stomach, doing abdominal exercises properly and properly is not enough. This exercise must also be accompanied by the application of a healthy lifestyle, such as eating a balanced nutritious diet, and abstaining from smoking and alcohol consumption.
If you experience an abdominal muscle injury, such as abdominal muscle pain accompanied by swelling, nausea, and vomiting, after doing abdominal muscle exercises, you should immediately consult a doctor for treatment.