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Three exercises to target your abdominal muscles
1. The full-body crunch. Lie on your back with your hands behind your head and your knees above your hips. Lift the head, neck and shoulders without pulling on your head and neck with your hands. Relax the neck and look upward diagonally, leaving space for your fist between your chest and chin. At the same time, use your abdominals to lift your hips up, drawing your knees in closer to your torso. Release and repeat 15 times. Avoid swinging the legs in and out, or arching the low back. Tighten the belly as much as possible each time and exhale forcefully. Do three sets of 15.
2. The Bicycle. Lie on your back with your hands behind your head and your elbows out to the side. Begin with both knees tucked to the chest and the head, neck and shoulders lifted. Twist your torso to the right side as you extend your left leg out and pull your right knee in. Visualize touching the left elbow to the right. Immediately change sides: twist to the left, pull the left knee in and extend the right leg all in one fluid motion. Repeat by alternating right and left so that you do 15 on each side for a total of 30 twists. Rest and repeat three times.
3. The Plank. Lie face-down on the floor with your elbows bent and forearms extended, palms flat. Lift up onto the balls of the feet so that all of your body weight is balanced on your feet and forearms. Keep your back and hips flat so that your body makes a straight line from your head to heels. Hold this position for as long as you can. Work up to one-minute intervals. Repeat three times for a set.
2. The Bicycle. Lie on your back with your hands behind your head and your elbows out to the side. Begin with both knees tucked to the chest and the head, neck and shoulders lifted. Twist your torso to the right side as you extend your left leg out and pull your right knee in. Visualize touching the left elbow to the right. Immediately change sides: twist to the left, pull the left knee in and extend the right leg all in one fluid motion. Repeat by alternating right and left so that you do 15 on each side for a total of 30 twists. Rest and repeat three times.
3. The Plank. Lie face-down on the floor with your elbows bent and forearms extended, palms flat. Lift up onto the balls of the feet so that all of your body weight is balanced on your feet and forearms. Keep your back and hips flat so that your body makes a straight line from your head to heels. Hold this position for as long as you can. Work up to one-minute intervals. Repeat three times for a set.
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