Welcome to Home Workouts

Do you want to have beautiful abs that look great with or without your clothes on?  The fat around the belly is one of the hardest to get rid of, because unlike the arms and the legs which we use a lot in our daily lives, most of us do not really use our abdominal muscles. You can do several exercises to make our abdominals look good and one of these exercises is the abdominal crunch.

The abdominal crunch is a good exercise because you can do it in the comforts of your own home. You can just plop on your floor or use an exercise mat or a carpet. You can do it while listening to the radio and you can do it in just about any room. Just like the other exercises, you can only have great results if you continue to work on the exercise and if you do it the right way. 

Here’s how to do the abdominal crunches.  First lie down on the floor on your back completely relaxed. Then bend you knees with your feet flat on the floor. Place your hands behind your head, across your chest or even have them on your sides.  As you lie down on the floor pull your tummy in and then slowly contract your abdominal muscles which will result in your shoulders being lifted a few inches off the floor.  Hold the position for a few minutes and make sure to keep your neck straight and your chin up.  Exhale as you pull up and inhale as you slowly lower your back.  When you lower your body, do not completely relax and lay on the floor for a few minutes.  You can do this for 15- 30 repetitions depending on your fitness level. Do not push yourself too hard to cause unnecessary strain to your muscles and ligaments.   

Once you have developed enough strength in your abdomen, you can also lift your knees simultaneously as you lift your shoulders up. This is called the full body crunch and will help exercise your lower abdomen as well.

When doing this exercise you have to make sure you are curling up your abdomen and pulling your shoulders up and not just raising your head.  Raising just your head will strain your neck. One way you can ensure that your neck is properly aligned is to place your fist under your chin when exercising. You can do this by crossing your arms across your chest and then placing your clenched fist under your chin. This will help you from bending your neck towards the front.

When you lower your body, make sure it is completely aligned with the floor. If this exercise proves to be too difficult, then you can also prop your feet on a box or a platform to make it easier.

Make sure to warm up before you exercise and cool down after.