Even before the lockdowns were imposed because of the coronavirus pandemic, prolonged sitting has already been a problem as people sat in front of the computer at the office for most of the day.
At least people still got to walk to their cars or to and from the bus stop plus one could always hit the gym.
But with the lockdown, a lot of outdoor activities are discouraged if not banned. And, of course, the gyms are closed.
That doesn’t mean that your health regimen should also go into lockdown and here are some easy ab workouts that you can do from home:
1 – Get your heart pumping with the stairs
Stair-climbing, even from home, is a great way to warm up and get your heart pumping. It’s also a great cardio workout that you can extend to several minutes for a complete body workout.
2 – Chair crunches
Sit on a chair then lift your legs straight in front of you. Pull your knees to your chest then straighten your legs again. 3 sets of 20 reps should be fine.
3 – Side crunches from a chair
Lay on your hip and pull your legs up and down. Start with the right then switch to the left side, or vice versa.
This trains your lateral abdominal muscles.
4 – Reverse crunches
This one can even be done as you’re watching TV.
- Lay down and place your legs flat on the floor.
- Using your abs, lift your legs to the point they’re above your head or more. Don’t do this too fast.
- Slowly lower them to the starting position.
Do 3 sets of 20 reps.
5 – V-ups will work those abdominal muscles
This may be a bit difficult at first but it’s very effective if you can pull it off. This involves lifting your body up while balancing your legs and arms in the air simultaneously.
- Lay down, extend your arms above the head with palms facing down and away from the legs (which should be straight).
- Slowly lift all the limbs at the same time in a V shape.
- Work towards touching your toes with your fingers.
- Again slowly, start going back to the starting position.
Do 3 sets of 10-15 reps.
6 – Torso twisting with raised legs
This one works your upper torso.
- Sit on the floor and raise your legs while keeping the feet together. The torso should also be straight with the back at a 45-degree angle from the floor.
- With a twisting motion, slowly start swinging your arms from side to side.
Don’t stop between repetitions, otherwise, it won’t work the abdomen enough.
Replaced!