Gyms and group fitness centers may have closed for the time being, but that does not mean we stop training. There are still plenty of ways to get your sweat on at home during these times of social distancing with abdominals being one of the easiest. Training abs requires absolutely no equipment. And since exercise equipment has become as scarce as toilet paper these days, you’re in luck! You literally just need your body and a space on the floor.
I recommend training abdominals 3-4 nonconsecutive days a week.
Abdominal Workout:
- Basic Crunch: Start by lying on the floor with your knees bent and your hands across your chest. Lift your shoulders off of the floor by contracting your abs and exhaling. Perform for 30 seconds.
- Russian Twists: Sit on the floor with your knees bent, reach your arms out front and clasp your hands together. Use your abdominals to twist your trunk to the right, back to the center and to the left. Perform for 30 seconds. Remember to sit up tall and do not let your spine collapse into the letter “C”.
- Plank: Get into a forearm plank position on the ground- forearms and toes on the ground. Make sure your elbows are directly underneath your shoulders and your feet are hip width apart. Maintain your spine in a straight line and keep your head and neck in a neutral position. Squeeze your quads, glutes, and core. Don’t forget to breathe. Hold for 45 seconds-one minute.
- Bicycle Crunch- Lie flat on the floor and lightly put your hands behind your head. Bend your knees and lift your legs up off the floor. Rotate your trunk by lifting up your shoulder blades while bringing your right knee and left elbow together. Alternate the crunch by touching the opposite knee to the opposite elbow and continue. Repeat for 45 seconds-one minute.
- Reverse crunches- Start by lying down with your arms by your sides. Raise your legs so your knees are bent to 90 degrees and your thighs are perpendicular to the floor. Exhale and contract your abs to bring your knees up and towards your chest and raise your hips off of the floor. Hold briefly and then slowly lower you legs to the starting position. Perform for 30 seconds.
- Side planks- Start on your right side with feet stacked on top of each other and your right forearm directly below your right shoulder. Contract your abdominals and raise your hips up until your body is in a straight line from your feet to your head. Hold for 30 seconds. Then repeat on your left side for 30 seconds.
Repeat circuit 2-3 times based on your fitness level.
For added inspiration and added fun, compile a COVID-19 /quarantine playlist with songs for the apocalypse-
Don’t Stand So Close To Me- The Police
It’s The End of The World- R.E.M
All By Myself- Celine Dion
U Can’t Touch This- MC Hammer
Stayin’ Alive- Bee Gees
Hot Blooded- Foreigner
N.I.B.- Black Sabbath
Toxic- Britney Spears
Down With the Sickness- Disturbed
Zombie- The Cranberries
Add any other theme appropriate songs!
Another fun twist is to find an accountability workout partner and do the workout with them on Zoom, Google Meet or Facetime!!!
I hope this article inspires you to incorporate abdominals into your at home workout routine. Please reach out to me or any other Onelife Fitness personal trainer for advice and tips to stay focused and fit during these times.
