Isometric Exercises for Abs

Today's busy lifestyle has left us with no time to take care of our health. We even run short of time for the home gym and to perform daily workouts. Certain exercises are performed for the workout of the complete body any time anywhere without any exercise equipment and without spending time in gym. Yes, I am talking about the isometric exercises.

These strength training exercises help to tone the muscles if you take out little time from your hectic lifestyle. You just need to spare your ten valuable seconds ten times a day and you will definitely be an owner of a healthy body. There are many exercises for speed, calf muscle, abs, etc. In this article, we will be talking about isometric exercises for abs that are a perfect alternative to the traditional abdominal exercises.

These exercises benefits the body in three ways. Firstly, it forms six-pack abs muscle called rectus abdominis. Secondly, it maintains flatness of the stomach called transverse abdominis and thirdly, maintains "V" shaped muscles of the waist called obliques. Before you start with the exercise, keep in mind some important points. The positions of the exercises should not be held for more than thirty seconds in the beginning. Also, these exercises might increase the blood pressure so they should be performed after consulting the doctor or under expert supervision if you have any problems related to blood pressure or hypertension. So, here we have some examples for beginners as well as for the advance level.

Exercises for Beginners

Horizontal Suspension
Lie down straight on a flat and hard surface so that your body, excluding the head, neck and limbs are suspended horizontally. If you feel comfortable, then you might go a step further by suspending horizontally the parts other than waist down. Hold yourself in this position for ten to fifteen seconds and later you can even increase the hold time as per your convenience.

Elbow Tested Suspension
This isometric workout is very helpful in enhancing the strength not only of the abs, but also gives power to your back and midsection. For this exercise, you need to lie down in a position towards or on or near the belly. Rest your body on the forearms and push your upper part of the body upwards. Keep the feet together and lift the legs up and suspend them in the horizontal direction. As a beginner, this exercise should not be performed more than five to ten times. Gradually, when you get used to it, increase the counts and the duration.

Advanced Exercises

Easy Plank Position
In this advanced exercise, you need to maintain the stability and position of your body with the unstable ball. Start the exercise by keeping your elbows on the ball and balancing the body on the toes. Keep the body straight and put the weight and pressure of the body on the elbows and the toes. Be in the same position for ten to thirty seconds. Keep two things in mind while performing this exercise. Firstly, keep your body absolutely straight and secondly, pull your abs in to avoid curving of the back that might give you pain.

Hands and Toe Plank Position
This exercise is a little difficult, but one can do it after few successful trials. Keep the toes on the ball and balance the rest of the body on the hands that are kept straight and touching the ground. Be in the same position for about thirty seconds. This exercise is another step of the previous one as you need to maintain the balance of the body. Keep your body straight and pull the abs up. If the back arch, pull the hips up to balance.

These isometric exercises have many rewards like no contraction of joints and the use of postures that would stimulate the muscles without troubling the joints. These exercises not only concentrate on the development of the abs, but also increases the strength of the back.