The abdominal region is composed of internal and external muscles. The external muscles are known as the Rectus Abdominus. Crunches are the best exercise to target the rectus abdominis muscle. Innermost abdominal muscles are called as Transverse Abdominus. These muscles are rarely discussed, and the most neglected. There are hardly few exercises which can strengthen the transverse abdominal muscles.
Stomach vacuum exercise targets these innermost abdominal muscles and strengthens them. It is one of the best exercises you can perform to shrink your waistline in a very short amount of time. You can easily lose 2 to 4 inches off your waist in as little as 3 weeks with this technique. The more you perform it, the better results it will give.
HOW TO DO STOMACH VACUUM EXERCISE
You can perform the stomach vacuum while sitting, lying or kneeling.
- Start by laying on your back, knees bent and feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart.
- Next, exhale and bring in your stomach in as far as you can as if your belly button is touching your back bone. Remove all the air from your lungs and suck in your tummy as much as you can. The more your stomach draws in, the more the transverse abdominal muscles is contracting.
- Hold the contraction for 10-15 seconds, but breathe as normal. Avoid moving your belly up and down as you breathe, keep it tightly sucked in.
- Release the contraction and breath normally—that’s one set.
- Repeat the exercise for five rounds.
The vacuum is best performed on a relatively empty stomach. The minimum number of repetitions is 5. At the beginning it will take time to keep your abdominal muscles tense. But as you get stronger and more skilled at the movement, you should increase the number of sets and the length of time you hold the contraction.