Abdominal Exercises

• basic crunches: hands behind the back of the neck, fingers touching, elbows out...lift up for two counts, down for two counts – add one leg up, then other leg, then both legs straight up in the air)

• lower ab crunches: lie on your back and either bring legs into tabletop position or straight up, ankles crossed – using only your lower ab muscles (not your legs or arms), lift up so your lower back comes off the floor

• opposition crunches: legs in tabletop position – bring the torso up like you’re doing regular crunches, but twist so you are angled towards your knee – bring the opposite leg down straight a few inches above the floor – repeat opposite side

• scissor kicks: lying on your back, bring your hands to your sacrum for support – starting with legs a few inches off the floor and pointed toes, criss-cross your legs up overhead, then back down again for a 4-count – repeat with flexed feet

• Jill Parker abs: do three small crunches, then come all the way up to sitting (arms up), bend forward over legs, come back up to sitting, and then curl back down (bringing arms back behind head) – use your stomach muscles to get up, not your back

• yoga stretch: lie on your back with soles of feet together (reclined cobbler’s pose) – with hands behind head, lift up slightly, then up to midpoint, then all the way up ONLY IF YOU CAN DO IT WITHOUT LIFTING FEET OFF THE GROUND – otherwise go as far as you can and hold it, then go back down and repeat

• pelvic tilts: standing, place one hand on your lower abdomen (below bellybutton) – using only that muscle, tilt your pelvis forward and back – do not use your back – DO NOT use your butt muscles at all

• tiny ummis: do ummis (internal hip circles, or tilted hip circles) using only your muscles – contract one glute for side, lower abs for front, other glute for other side, extend lower abs for back – movement is very tiny and very muscular

• boat pose: lying on your back, come up onto your sitting bones – straighten your back and extend your arms forward and lift your legs up so your body makes a V (if you can’t extend all the way, bring into tabletop) – hold for three breaths, then come down – repeat

• U pose: from lying on the back, reach your arms and legs straight up so your body makes a U – hold for three breaths, then come down – repeat