Abdominal Exercises

Abdominal exercises are one of the most sought after strength training exercises.  Everyone is looking for ways to get the ultimate six pack abs by searching for the most effective and best ab exercises.   
 


Here on this site you will find several ab exercises with instructions and a free fitness video demonstration for each stomach exercise to ensure you are doing them correctly.  

You want to do these exercises properly in order to help strengthen your core and support your body. 

List of Abdominal Exercises

Use the links below to go to the specific stomach exercises you want for instructions and video demonstration.  The ab exercise pages are grouped by abdominal muscles plus a separate page for the top 3 ab exercises and common crunches. 

Before you dive into these stomach exercises you may want to read this article on theBest Ab Exercises and the Worst.

Top 3 Abdominal Exercises 

• Bicycle Crunch
• Captain's Chair
• Exercise Ball Abdominal Crunch

Common Abdominal Crunches

• Traditional Crunch
• Reverse Crunch
• Vertical Leg Crunch
• Long Arm Crunch

Six Pack Ab Exercises

• Bent Knee Abdominal Hip Raise
• Abdominal Leg Pull Ins
• Abdominal Leg Raises
• Abdominal Flutter Kicks

Oblique Exercises

• Fingers to Heel Oblique Touchers
• Oblique Crunch
• Elbow to Knee Oblique Crunch
• Lying Side Oblique Crunch
• Isometric Side Bridge

Transverse Abdominal Exercises

• Plank Pose
• Plank Pose Leg Lift
• Plank Pose Twist
• Transverse Pull Ins
• Back Extensions

Risks of Belly Fat Risks of Belly Fat

Belly fat is a dangerous condition. There are many health risks of belly fat. The problem of belly fat is one of the worst manifestations of excess weight. Many people gain weight only around their belly and such condition becomes even riskier for health.

According to medical research, people with fat bellies, especially men who gain weight around their tummy, are very much prone to cardiovascular diseases. So apart from spoiling your personality, belly fat also poses health challenges.

Gaining weight is easy nowadays as compared to losing weight. Wrong eating habits, sedentary lifestyle, and lack of time for self, are quick ways to gain weight. In most of the cases, the weight gain starts showing around belly. In fact, men are prone to belly fat risks as compared to women.

Intra-abdominal fat or belly fat can pose health challenges like diabetes, heart disease, stroke, slow metabolism, sleep apnea, and other serious conditions. The abdominal fat is mostly visceral fat that lies deep within the tissues and put direct pressure on organs. In case there is accumulation of visceral fat, the belly looks extremely protruded. There is another kind of fat known as subcutaneous fat that gets accumulated in the belly area. However, according to the research visceral fat is more risky that subcutaneous fat, as the former results in secreting more inflammatory substances and on a more regular basis that affects arteries and other integral organs of the body.

Thus waist circumference is a major factor in determining the chances of coronary diseases in patients. Overweight in itself is a big factor that causes heart disease and other ailments, but overweight people with belly fat are even more prone to heart disease risks. Central obesity can also cause death or serious conditions like paralysis and stroke if not treated on time.

To reduce the risks of belly fat a person should avoid the problem before it occurs. It is especially important for people with history of heart disease in family to control their weight and avoid accumulation of fat in the abdominal area. Since central part of the body is quite prone to gain weight quickly we need to take extra care to maintain a flat belly.

Doctors recommend a daily routine of physical exercise and balanced eating habits in order to keep away the risks of belly fat. Minimum 40 minutes of walking and healthy diet is a must to keep away abdominal weight or overall fatness. For people who have the tendency to gain weight around tummy, should indulge in stretch exercise and spot reduction to mobilize the fat around abdominal area.

Since there is no quick way to lose belly fat we should try preventive measures to avoid the problem. By using tummy tuck belts and wearing suitable clothes we can deal with the problem of hiding belly fat, but cannot avoid serious health problems resulting from it. All the diseases that are accentuated by belly fat like heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, cancer, and stroke are incurable. But curing belly fat is in our hands and we should strive for it.

Risk of belly fat is not limited to personality defect and low confidence, it has serious impacts like heart disease, diabetes, stroke, cancer, that are life threatening.

1. Can Belly Fat Cause Colon Cancer
2. Blood Pressure and Belly Fat
3. Stress Due to Belly Fat

Aerobic exercise: How to warm up and cool down

Done correctly, warming up and cooling down may offer help in reducing your risk of injury and improving your athletic performance.

By Mayo Clinic staff

You're ready to hit the elliptical machine or the running trails. Before you do, though, consider doing a brief warm-up, followed by a quick cool-down session when you're done exercising. Sure, a warm-up and cool-down may add a few minutes to your exercise routine, but they also might help you stay healthier.

Why warm up and cool down

There's some controversy about whether warming up and cooling down offer health benefits. But proper warm-ups and cool-downs pose little risk, so if you have the time, consider adding them to your workout schedule. Warm-ups and cool-downs generally involve doing your activity at a slower pace and reduced intensity.

Warming up may help prepare your body for aerobic activity. Warming up gradually revs up your cardiovascular system, increases blood flow to your muscles and raises your body temperature. Jumping into an aerobic workout without preparing your body could lead to such problems as muscle strain or injury.

Cooling down after your workout may help gradually reduce the temperature of your muscles, especially if you've had an intense workout. Cooling down may help reduce muscle injury, stiffness and soreness, but the research is uncertain.

How to warm up

Warm up right before you plan to start your workout. In general, warm up by focusing first on large muscle groups, such as your hamstrings. Then you can do exercises more specific to your sport or activity, if necessary. A warm-up may cause mild sweating, but it shouldn't leave you fatigued.

Here are some examples of warm-up activities:

• To warm up for a brisk walk, walk slowly for five to 10 minutes.
• To warm up for a run, walk briskly for five to 10 minutes.
• To warm up for strength training, move your muscles and joints through the movement patterns you'll do during the exercise, but before you start with weights.
• To warm up for soccer, do slow, soccer-specific running drills.
• To warm up for swimming, swim slowly at first and then pick up the tempo as you're able to.

How to cool down

Cooling down is similar to warming up. You generally continue your workout session, but at a slower pace and reduced intensity. Cooling down may be most important to the best athletes, such as well-conditioned marathoners. For them, cooling down is important because it helps regulate blood flow. For others, cooling down may simply become an enjoyable ritual as part of an overall exercise program.

Here are some examples of cool-down activities:

• To cool down after a brisk walk, walk slowly for five to 10 minutes.
• To cool down after a run, walk briskly for five to 10 minutes.
• To cool down after biking, spin on your bicycle at higher revolutions per minute (around 100) as you finish your exercise.
• To cool down after swimming, swim some leisure laps for five to 10 minutes, varying your strokes.

A word about stretching

Consider adding stretching to your cool-down session. Stretching can increase blood flow to your muscles. Stretching may also help improve your performance in some activities or decrease your risk of injury by allowing your joints to move through their full range of motion.

If you have a tight or previously injured muscle, stretch the affected muscle after you warm up. Hold each stretch for about 30 seconds. And remember to keep it gentle. Don't bounce. Don't stretch to the point of pain. Sudden or aggressive stretching motions may actually cause an injury or worsen and injury.

Be kind to your body

Finding time for regular aerobic workouts — plus warming up and cooling down — can be challenging. But if you're tempted to skip warming up and cooling down, get creative. If you walk to a fitness facility, use the trip there and back to warm up and cool down. Remember, be kind and give your body time to adjust to the demands of your workout.

Aerobic exercise: Top 10 reasons to get physical

Regardless of age, weight or athletic ability, aerobic exercise is good for you. See why — then prepare yourself to get moving.

By Mayo Clinic staff

Regular aerobic activity — such as walking, bicycling or swimming — can help you live longer and healthier. Need motivation? See how aerobic exercise affects your heart, lungs and blood flow. Then get moving and start reaping the rewards.

How your body responds to aerobic exercise

During aerobic activity, you repeatedly move large muscles in your arms, legs and hips. You'll notice your body's responses quickly.

You'll breathe faster and more deeply. This maximizes the amount of oxygen in your blood. Your heart will beat faster, which increases blood flow to your muscles and back to your lungs. Your small blood vessels (capillaries) will widen to deliver more oxygen to your muscles and carry away waste products, such as carbon dioxide and lactic acid. Your body will even release endorphins, natural painkillers that promote an increased sense of well-being.

at aerobic exercise does for your health

Regardless of age, weight or athletic ability, aerobic activity is good for you. As your body adapts to regular aerobic exercise, you'll get stronger and fitter. Consider the following 10 ways that aerobic activity can help you feel better and enjoy life to the fullest.

Aerobic activity can help you:

1. Keep excess pounds at bay
   Combined with a healthy diet, aerobic exercise helps you lose weight — and keep it off.
2. Increase your stamina
   Aerobic exercise may make you tired in the short term. But over the long term, you'll enjoy increased stamina and reduced fatigue.
3. Ward off viral illnesses
   Aerobic exercise activates your immune system. This leaves you less susceptible to minor viral illnesses, such as colds and flu.
4. Reduce your health risks
   Aerobic exercise reduces the risk of many conditions, including obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, stroke and certain types of cancer. Weight-bearing aerobic exercises, such as walking, reduce the risk of osteoporosis.
5. Manage chronic conditions
   Aerobic exercise helps lower high blood pressure and control blood sugar. If you've had a heart attack, aerobic exercise helps prevent subsequent attacks.
6. Strengthen your heart
   A stronger heart doesn't need to beat as fast. A stronger heart also pumps blood more efficiently, which improves blood flow to all parts of your body.
7. Keep your arteries clear
   Aerobic exercise boosts your high-density lipoprotein (HDL or "good") cholesterol and lowers your low-density lipoprotein (LDL or "bad") cholesterol. The potential result? Less buildup of plaques in your arteries.
8. Boost your mood
   Aerobic exercise can ease the gloominess of depression, reduce the tension associated with anxiety and promote relaxation.
9. Stay active and independent as you age
   Aerobic exercise keeps your muscles strong, which can help you maintain mobility as you get older. Aerobic exercise also keeps your mind sharp. At least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise three days a week seems to reduce cognitive decline in older adults.
10. Live longer
    Studies show that people who participate in regular aerobic exercise live longer than those who don't exercise regularly.

Take the first step

Ready to get more active? Great. Just remember to start with small steps. If you've been inactive for a long time or if you have a chronic health condition, get your doctor's OK before you start.

When you're ready to begin exercising, start slowly. You might walk five minutes in the morning and five minutes in the evening. The next day, add a few minutes to each walking session. Pick up the pace a bit, too. Soon, you could be walking briskly for at least 30 minutes a day — and reaping all the benefits of regular aerobic activity.

Other options might include cross-country skiing, aerobic dancing, swimming, stair climbing, bicycling, jogging, elliptical training or rowing. If you have a condition that limits your ability to participate in aerobic activities, ask your doctor about alternatives. If you have arthritis, for example, aquatic exercises may give you the benefits of aerobic activity without stressing your joints.

Exercises for Seniors to Remove Belly Fat

Aerobics Music Free Download

Losing belly fat is difficult for everyone regardless of age or gender. Seniors may face a tougher challenge than other age groups, but the remedy is much the same. Exercise is the key factor in losing excess weight around the stomach along with a healthy well-balanced diet. Seniors should discuss their exercise plan with a doctor before beginning any new progra

Aerobic Activity

Aerobic activity burns fat and calories and increases stamina. Walking and biking are aerobic activities that will help burn off the fat that is gathering around the stomach. Swimming is another fat burning activity that is less stressful to the joints. Many seniors find water aerobics and swimming a good alternative to land based activities because of joint pain.

Look for water exercise classes at your local YMCA and slowly build your endurance. Build up your aerobic routine to 20 or 30 minutes at least three times a week. If joint pain is discouraging your activity, break up your exercise sessions into 10-minute batches. This will give you all of the benefits of exercise without causing excessive pain in your joints.

Overworking your muscles or joints in the early stages of an exercise program could cause you to give up on exercise. Listen to your body and stop whenever you experience pain or are too fatigued to continue. Some seniors face difficulty accepting the changing condition of their bodies. Your local YMCA may have classes that are developed specifically for seniors and the limitations that they face. Consult with your doctor which exercises are appropriate for you. The doctor is the best person to determine what physical activity you are capable of doing safely.

Strength Training

Strength training will help to improve your muscles and burn calories when you are not exercising. Fat burning is essential to losing belly fat.

Remember to work all the muscle groups in your body when you are working on your strength training exercises. Give your body plenty of time to rest in between workouts. To increase muscle strength, you will have to allow the muscles to rest. Overworking the muscles without at least a day in between workouts will not increase muscle strength and may cause the opposite effect.

Strength training helps to combat the natural loss of muscle mass that occurs as the body ages.This natural decrease in muscle strength can affect a senior’s ability to perform daily activities such as walking up stairs or shopping. Muscle strength also helps to support joints that may be affected by osteoarthritis and joint pain. The goal of strength training is not to become a bodybuilder, but to maintain strength in muscles that are deteriorating with age.

If you are overweight or have excess weight around your belly, these exercises will help your body work efficiently to burn off fat. Discuss weight training or strength training with your doctor before beginning to determine what type of strength training is right for you. Resistance bands and free weights can be used in your program.

Relaxation

You should include some relaxation and stress reduction activities in your program to eliminate belly fat. This is especially important for those who are under chronic stress. The body under stress will store excess fat in the belly area to use for energy. The body is actually preparing for attack when it stores this excess fat. Include a day of yoga in your routine or include meditation exercises to reduce the amount of stress that your body is experiencing.

Psychological or emotional stress can occur at any age, but seniors face some unique changes to their lives that may increase their stress levels. Seniors can become psychologically stressed about their changing health and perceived loss control over their lives. We may think of our retirement years as a time of relaxation and rest, but some seniors feel less productive and useful during this time. Incomes tend to decrease during the senior years as well, causing even more emotional turmoil.