Learning how to exercise your stomach muscles at home is one of the most common desires of the regular fitness enthusiast. Not only will learning how to work your stomach muscles help you develop core strength and increase the overall look of your abs, but it can also have health benefits to benefit your posture, balance, and spine. It may seem like a tricky task for some, but the benefits are worth the work! We’ve put together a comprehensive guide so that you can learn how to exercise your stomach muscles at home!
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How to Exercise Your Stomach Muscles at Home
Your stomach muscles can often go neglected when you’re participating in common exercises. Though your core can be one of the harder parts to train, there’s enough health and aesthetic benefits to make it worth your time! Learning how to exercise your stomach muscles at home can decrease belly fat and increase your chances of getting the often desired abs. Additionally, it will also improve balance and stability! These are two important things that can come in handy for everyday life, and make it easier to do other forms of exercise.
The following exercises are designed to do at home with minimal to no fitness accessories. All that you’ll need is a comfortable surface like a yoga mat!
Stomach Crunches
When you think about a workout that exercises your stomach muscles, there’s a good chance that the crunch is the first thing that pops into your head. They’re simple to learn and easy to get used to. Plus they’re all about working out those stomach muscles, making it the perfect exercise for your goal.
Begin this exercise by lying on your back with your knees bent and your feet planted firmly on the ground. Distance your feet so they are hip-width apart. You can place your hands over your chest, behind your ears, or in front of your knees. Curl your body upward until your shoulders are three inches off the floor. Hold this position for a moment before going back down.
Some find stomach crunches easy, while others may take a while to get used to it. A good starting point is to do two sets of fifteen until you are used to doing crunches.
Bicycle Crunches
Want to take your crunches up a notch? The bicycle crunch is a variation of the crunch with even more benefits!
Lay down and position your hands in the same place that you would for a regular crunch. Keep one leg extended straight out, not resting on the ground. Bring your other leg into your chest. Alternate between extending each leg out, bringing the other to your chest. The motion will look similar to how you move your legs on a bicycle.
Begin with two sets of fifteen.
Planks
Planks are another common go-to exercise for improving your stomach muscles. They’re a workout that seems simple enough, but its benefits will all boil down to how good your form is!
Begin this exercise by lying on the floor. Prop yourself up on your toes and with your forearms placed on the floor in front of you. Raise your hips so that your body is straight all the way through. Focus on the floor in front of you while also tightening your stomach muscles.
An assisted version of the plank is also beneficial. This is for those who struggle with the traditional plank. The exercise is the same, but your knees will be on the floor instead of in the air.
For those who are new to planks, you should begin by doing ten sets of ten-second planks. Try to work your way up to being able to do a full minute plank.
Side Planks
Planks are so great that there are multiple ways to do them! Try to incorporate the side plank in with your routine, too.
To do a side plank, you will begin on either side of your body. Set your elbow below your shoulder, and keep your forearm perpendicular to the rest of your body. Keep one foot on the ground with the other foot on top. Lift your hips off the floor. Your body should be creating a diagonal line from your shoulders to your feet.
Your side planks will progress similarly to your regular planks. So, begin by doing ten sets of ten-second planks, working your way up with progress.
Plank Jacks
If you don’t like staying still long enough to do a plank, then the plank jack is for you! This workout will work up even more of a sweat as you’ll be moving your body even more.
Get in the position that you would for a basic plank. Kick your legs out like a jump, landing your feet as far apart as you feel comfortable with. Kick your legs back in and repeat!
Try to start out doing plank jacks for 30 seconds.
Kettlebell Swings
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This workout is known for its ability to increase strength and burn calories. Since it also targets your core, it’s great for learning how to exercise your stomach muscles at home!
You’ll need a kettlebell for this exercise. Use a weight that feels heavy enough to be moderately challenging, but light enough that you can perform multiple reps.
Standing with your legs shoulder-width apart and holding the kettlebell at arms-length in front of you, you’ll begin this exercise by bending your hips. You’ll use your upper body strength and momentum to hike the kettlebell between your legs while thrusting your hips forward. You should aim to have the kettlebell reach the height of your shoulders. Reverse everything you have done to complete one rep.
Begin this exercise by trying to do three sets of ten reps.
Burpees
Many core workouts target only your stomach muscles. The burpee, however, targets far more than that. If you want a workout that’s going to work a large portion of your muscles, this one is for you!
To do a burpee you must start by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart. You will then lower your body, entering a pushup position. Perform the pushup and go back to the starting position to complete your first rep.
Begin by doing ten reps and work your way to a higher number once you’ve increased your core strength. You should aim to do these quickly to increase the benefits of the workout.
Flutter Kicks
Feeling like you just need to lie down by this point? Well, that’s what the flutter kick is here for!
Lay flat on your back and rest your hands to your side. With your core held tight, lift your legs off the floor and point your toes. Bring one foot up and rotate between each leg, making a fluttering motion. This will almost feel as if you’re swimming in water. Your feet should not touch the floor.
Try to do non-stop flutter kicks for 30 seconds.
Russian Twists
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You’ll need a medicine ball of any weight for this activity. It can be done without the medicine ball, though its effects will be less effective.
Begin by sitting on the floor with your knees slightly bent forward. Raise your feet above the ground, slightly lower than the height of your knees. Lean back (but only a little bit!) and hold the medicine ball in your hands. Your general body stance will stay in the same position. You will rotate your core and arms (with the medicine ball in hand) to both sides, touching the ball to the ground on each rotation.
Do these motions for 60 seconds.
Yoga Poses
Fans of yoga can also work towards building stomach strength! There are plenty of yoga poses that will help you reach your goal. Many poses are similar to the exercises listed above. However, in a yoga pose, you will hold the position for longer instead of repeating the motions. Instead of doing reps, you will typically aim to be able to hold the poses for longer amounts of time.
The plank pose, for example, is almost identical to the basic plank. However, you will extend your arms so that they are straight to the ground, rather than resting on your forearms.
The boat pose is one of the most common yoga positions for stomach muscles. This will work your strength and balance. Begin by sitting up straight, and lift your legs above the floor. Try to straighten your legs in a diagonal position. Hold your arms out directly in front of you and move them to the outside of your legs. Maintain this position for as long as you can.
You may choose to do all of the exercises above in a single workout, or you may prefer to integrate them into your pre-existing workout routine. Regardless of what you choose to do, you’ll have a stronger core in no time! Learning how to exercise your stomach muscles at home will be a choice that you don’t regret!
