How to do crunches to strengthen your core

One thing that seems to confuse a lot of people is the fact that the media shows us slim people with great six pack abs. This would lead most people to believe that if you want to reduce your stomach then you should just do sit-ups and you will lose the stomach. Sadly this is called spot reduction and it is not really possible to lose a bot belly by just doing sit-ups.

What your really need to know is how to do crunches

So to lose your pot belly you really need to do more to lose your overall fat and this can be done using two changes to your body.

To do that, you need to burn more calories than you eat. Abdominal muscles are not large muscles, so working them isn’t going to burn many calories. Walking and jogging are better calorie-burning activities.

The muscles in your abdomen, pelvis, lower back and hips are part of what is known as the core – The area of the body where your center of gravity is located. Developing a strong solid core gives you increased balance, stability and controlled movement that will help you improve performance. You use core muscles when you reach up to get a glass off the top shelf, bend down to tie your shoes, or swing a golf club. Strong core muscles also improve posture and protect you against back injuries.

What are the best abdominal exercises? For the beginner, nothing seems to beat crunches.

How to do Crunches

1. Lie with your back on a padded floor.
2. Prop your feet against the wall or on a chair at a 90-degree angle to help you keep a neutral spine position in which your back is not too arched or too flat. As your abs get stronger, try putting your feet flat on the floor with your knees bent.
3. Cross your arms over your chest or hold them straight up.
4. Cough to engage your ab muscles.
5. Using these muscles, lift your upper body off the floor, raising yourself about 6 to 12 inches. Exhale as you go up. This will help maintain a space between your chin and chest.
6. Hold this position briefly.
7. Slowly lower yourself while inhaling. But don’t relax all the way down — keep your shoulders slightly off the floor.
8. Repeat until your ab muscles are fatigued. Stop immediately if you experience pain in your lower back.
9. Do this every other day, as you would any strengthening exercise.

As your abs strengthen, add more challenging exercises. You can increase resistance by holding a dumbbell across your chest. And, while most ab machines don’t offer benefits over the crunch, using a fitness ball can increase the challenge by putting you on an unstable surface.

The next step of course will be strengthening the other side. Your lower back

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