There are many different stomach exercises that can help to develop ab muscles and remove excess body fat that can be performed at home. Listed below are some great abdominal exercises that help to burn fat and develop abs. These ab exercises require no equipment, though each is more comfortable when done on an exercise mat.
Crunches: Great Stomach Exercises to Tone Muscle and Lose Weight
Crunches are ab exercises that involve working out almost exclusively the abdominals, according to bodybuilding.com. Similar to sit-ups, crunches do not involve working the hip flexors as when doing crunches, the shoulders only need to come up off of the floor a little. To do a crunch, lie with your back on the floor, with your knees bent, and with your feet on the floor. Traditionally, hands are placed behind the head. Then, simply sit up a little with the upper body (keeping knees and feet where they were) so that the shoulders lift up off the floor. Then ease back to the floor. Repeat this to perform a series of crunches. To make crunches easier, having someone hold your feet to the floor helps to avoid "cheating."
Sit-Ups, Another Top Stomach Exercise
To do a sit-up, assume the same position used to begin crunches. Instead of simply lifting the upper body up off of the floor a little, sit the upper body all of the way up so that it is upright, while the legs and feet remain as they were. This exercise also works out the hip flexor muscles, and provides a more strenuous overall workout. Recently, sit-ups have received some negative attention, as some studies have shown that they can lead to lower back problems because they overwork the hip flexors. If this is a concern, stick with crunches.
Leg Lifts, Great Ab Exercises for the Stomach Area
The leg lift is another excellent stomach exercise. Start by simply lying flat on your back, with knees unbent, and legs also to the floor. With upper body flat on the floor (arms can be at one side, or hands can be behind the head), lift legs off the floor. Try not to bend the knees, and hold your legs off of the ground for a few seconds. One popular version of leg lifts has exercisers lifting legs up until they are at nearly right angles, with the heels pointing up, but even lifting the legs a few inches off of the floor while keeping the upper body down provides significant stomach exercise. Hold legs up at whatever level for a few seconds before dropping them back to the floor, and repeat 10-15 times for a nice ab workout.
The above exercises are great for developing stomach muscles and burning body fat. All of them target the abs, and strengthen and tone as they help to reduce fat. Keep in mind that it is always best to stretch before working out. Also be sure to keep the body hydrated by drinking water when necessary.
Thomas Wyatt - Tom Wyatt grew up in Virginia. He has been interested in the outdoors (fishing, birding, camping, and other such activities) since he was ...
Join the Conversation