BASIC CRUNCH
- Lie on your back with feet flat on the floor, knees bent and hands placed lightly behind your ears.
- Contract your abdominals by pulling your belly button into your spine and eliminating any space between your lower back and the floor.
- With your chin lifted (as if you have a ball between your chin and your neck), raise your shoulders off the floor while keeping your abdominals contracted.
- Hold for one second and lower back to start position.
C-CRUNCH
- Lie on your back with your knees bent at 90 degrees and your feet on the floor. Place your fingertips lightly behind your ears.
- Contract your abdominals by pulling your belly button into your spine and eliminating any space between your lower back and the floor. This is start position.
- While keeping your elbows pointing outward, simultaneously lift your shoulders and your feet off the floor (attempt to reach your chin to your knees).
- Hold for one second and lower back to start position.
FULL BODY CRUNCH
- Lie flat on the floor with your arms and legs fully extended.
- Contract your abdominals by pulling your belly button into your spine and eliminating any space between your lower back and the floor. This is start position.
- As you exhale and keep your abdominals contracted, simultaneously lift your arms and your legs off the floor.
- Hold for one second and return to start position.
REVERSE CRUNCH
- Lie on your back with your knees bent at 90 degrees and your feet off the floor. Place your arms by your side with your palms facing down.
- Contract your abdominals by pulling your belly button into your spine and eliminating any space between your lower back and the floor. This is start position.
- While inhaling, bring your knees towards your chest and your hips slightly off the floor.
- Hold for one second, keep abdominals contracted, and slowly lower hips and legs to start position while exhaling.
RUSSIAN TWIST
- Lie on the floor with your knees bent at 90 degrees and your feet on the floor.
- Sit halfway up and extend your arms out in front of you. *For an added challenge, lift your legs off the floor and balance on your sit bones while keeping your back straight. You can also hold a dumbbell or light weight to make the exercise more difficult.
- While exhaling, rotate your torso to the right as far as you can while maintaining the angle of your torso to the floor.
- Inhale, return back to center, and repeat on left side.
- Continue alternating sides until exercise is completed.