Abs Exercises: Form and Safety

• Don’t pull on your head: Rather than haul yourself up off the mat by intertwining your fingers behind your head and pulling, rest your fingertips lightly behind your ears and use your abs to lift yourself up. Maintain the distance of a fist between your chin and chest.
• Keep your head in line with your spine: Avoid bringing your head too far forward. To do so, keep your eyes on the ceiling—don’t look at your knees.
• Don’t release your lower back: When doing ab exercises that involve lying on your back, keep your lower back stable. Don’t arch or hyperextend your lower back. If you feel your lower back start to lift, exhale and draw your belly button to your spine in order to stabilize the lower back.
• Don’t lift your torso too high: When doing ab exercises that involve lying on your back, don’t lift your torso more than 45° off the floor or mat. Lifting higher will not work your abs and may lead to back injury.
• Don’t hunch your shoulders: Rounding your shoulders forward as you crunch reduces the effectiveness of the exercise. Focus on hinging at the waist, with your torso stable and your shoulders pushed down and spread wide.
• Don’t let your abs push out: You’ll get better results if you keep your abs tight throughout the exercise by performing the drawing-in maneuver.

Stretching Your Abs

Stretches Before Your Abs Workout

Standing Stretch

1. Place your feet hip-width apart.
2. Tighten your abs and stand up straight.
3. Reach your right hand up, then stretch it leftward. Inhale and exhale.
4. Hold the pose for a few moments, feeling the stretch on the right side of your torso.
5. Switch sides and repeat the stretch.

Stretches After Your Abs Workout

Side Stretch

1. Lie on your back. Bend your knees.
2. With your knees together, rotate your hips and lower your legs to one side. Keep your shoulders pressed against the mat while you rotate your hips and spine.
3. Hold for a count of ten while breathing normally.
4. Return to the starting position. Repeat on the other side.

Cobra

1. Lie on your stomach with your arms bent. Place your palms down along your sides.
2. Push your upper body off the mat.
3. Keep your elbows directly beneath your shoulders and your legs on the mat. Don’t elevate your shoulders toward your ears.
4. Hold for a count of ten while breathing normally.