We know what you are thinking, yet another fitness exercise that sounds exactly like torture, but we’ll have you know that stomach vacuuming is set to be the best way to get flat abs!
When it comes to stomach exercises, we’d rather opt out, grab some ice cream and watch a movie. Crunches are painful, sit ups are the work of the devil and don’t even get us started on planking. But when we heard about stomach vacuuming, we were intrigued, and not just because we thought the process involved Dyson’s latest invention.
Stomach vacuuming is a breathing exercise that activates and strengthens the Transverse Abdominis – a key abdominal muscle – simply by contracting it. If you are a yoga or Pilates fan, you will already be used to breathing mechanics, so this exercise will come naturally to you. If not, it is very easy to pick up and learn.
In three simple steps, you can start stomach vacuuming from the comfort of your own bed/bedroom floor:
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Start off by lying on your back on a mattress or on a yoga mat, with your hips and knees flexed so that your feet are flat firmly on the floor or bed.
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Next, exhale as much air as possible. This raises your diaphragm and will allow for maximum contraction of the Transverse Abdominis.
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Lastly, pull your navel in as close to your spine as possible. The more you can do this, the more contracting the TVA will do.
Repeat three to five times, and hold the position for 15 seconds at first, when you become more comfortable with the exercise, work up to 60 seconds.
If you practice this routine on a daily basis, alongside eating well and keeping up your normal fitness regime, you will be able to feel the benefit and start seeing some results in just two weeks.
So ditch the crunches, say farewell to sit ups and start stomach vacuuming, you never know, it might just become your favourite abs exercise!
For more tips and guidance, check out this great tutorial video, courtesy of K’s Fitness Perfect TV:
Have you tried Stomach vacuuming? Let us know how it went! @tweetjanes