These last two years have taught us how essential it is to keep our bodies healthy. A healthy body is also home to a sound mind, and we need to be mentally and physically strong to beat this deadly pandemic. 


Even if we talk about the BC era, i.e., before corona, fitness and wellbeing were always an integral part of the routine, especially for successful people. The reason is simple, keeping your body fit helps you eliminate obesity which is the primary cause of several serious health issues.


Importance of Workout 

In this article, we will be discussing the six easy workouts for abs that anyone can do. It includes a workout routine for your abs at home, with little to no equipment at all. So if you have always dreamt of having a toned stomach but couldn’t work towards achieving it till now, this is your time!


We will also like to include that the workouts suggested in the article are universal, meaning these abs workouts at home are for ladies as well as gents. Additionally, these ab exercises are for beginners, so even if you don’t have practice, you can begin your fitness journey now. 


Benefits of Abs Workout

There is a common misconception regarding the core exercises that the only benefit is that they help a person look strong and attractive. But let us bust this myth by putting down a few of the benefits of workout for abs that are not related to physical appearance.


Prevents Lower-back Pain

Workout for abs helps you enhance the strength and mobility in the hips, glutes, and thighs. Strengthening the core helps your body relieve the aches as well as prevent back pains. 

Furthermore, the core strength you acquire with the regular workout for abs helps you efficiently perform daily tasks such as lifting heavy boxes, sitting at a desk for long hours (especially in work from the home era), or gardening. 

This is because the core strength helps you maintain a straight spine, which becomes a subconscious reflex over time. Notably, lower-back pain is a common health issue faced by middle-aged women, hence trying these abs workouts at home will be highly beneficial for ladies in developing stronger backs. 


Increases Your Sports Performance

For anyone who enjoys and practices sports, building core strength is essential as it can help them avoid severe injuries and enhance their performance exponentially. The reason behind this is when you play sports, you need to generate force through your limbs. Your core has to be stabilized for this force generation and your spine needs to be neutral. That is precisely how core exercise develops the body. Furthermore, core-targeted exercise activates the core musculature, producing force swinging, jumping, throwing, and other athletic movements.


Improves Breathing

Core and breathing exercises go hand-in-hand. According to a study, regular workouts for abs develop core strength, enhancing the breathing muscles like the intercostals and diaphragm. Additionally, it also facilitates easier breathing. These are some of the benefits which you gain through regular abs exercise at home. 


Summary of Workout for Abs

For an easy glance, these are the six ab exercises for beginners. You can efficiently perform these exercises even if you have no prior knowledge.


Ab Exercises For Beginners

Now that we’re aware of the benefits of the abs workout for men and women, let’s look at the six easy exercises to begin your workout journey. These exercises have been selected such that even a beginner can efficiently perform them.  Notably, we are starting with basics, and you can perform these workouts even at your home. It is advisable to perform them for 30-45 seconds with a break of 20 seconds in between. 


High Plank

One of the most common yet compelling exercises is the high plank. It helps you build posture and body balance. Being a core-targeted workout, high plank strengthens the spine, joints, pelvic and shoulder bones. It enables you to tighten the tummy by reducing belly fat. 

Additionally, high planks are also credited to enhance metabolism, body flexibility and reduce backache. 


Steps to Perform High Plank

  1. Place your hands under your shoulders. Just like performing a push-up, keep them slightly wider than the shoulder width.
  2. Keep your toes grounded to the floor. Now, squeeze your glutes to stabilize your body. During this time, your legs will be working too but be careful not to hyperextend or lock your knees. 
  3. Now, look at a spot that should be a foot away from your hands. This will help you neutralize your neck. Notably, your head should align with your back. 
  4. Now slowly, spread your legs to form a V and then close it. 
  5. Try to hold this position for 15-20 seconds and repeat 2-4 reps. 

Now take a 20-30 seconds break before proceeding to the next exercise. 


Bicycles 

It is one of the easiest and fun workouts for abs. The bicycle crunch is an excellent exercise that activates your upper abdominal muscle, rectus abdominis, and obliques, which are the side abdominal muscles. Most importantly, it targets your transverse abdominis, which are deep ab muscles. 

Performing bicycle crunch regularly will also help you tone your thighs apart from developing your abs. 

Steps to Perform Bicycles

  1. Lie down on the floor with your lower back pressed to the ground and your knees bent. Keep your hands behind your head and feet pressed on the floor. 
  2. Stabilize your spine by drawing in your abdomen and contracting your core muscles.
  3. Now lift your legs as if you were cycling and keep repeating this cycling motion. This movement works on your abdomen and strengthens your thighs. 
  4. The next step is to create a cross-motion by touching your knee to your elbow. In simpler words, touch your right elbow with your left knee and vice versa. 
  5. Try to achieve 12 to 20 repetitions in 3 sets. 

 

Again, take a break for 20-30 seconds. You can extend your break based on the requirement. Additionally, if you feel your arms or legs to be sore, try to stretch between the exercises. 


Leg Flutters

Also known as flutter kicks, these are an easy workout for abs. Leg flutters target the lower rectus abdominal muscles along with other core muscles like hip flexors. It is said that the origin of this exercise was based on a swimming stroke. 

Apart from the traditional leg flutter, the Prone flutter kick develops your back muscles. 

Steps to Perform Leg Flutters

  1. Lie down on the floor as you did in the bicycle pose. Your lower back should be pressed to the ground.
  2. Now, you need to lift yourself off the ground by pointing your hands to your pelvis. 
  3. The next step is to lift your legs from the ground and move them up and down. You need to keep your arms and legs straight. This stiffness generates pressure on your abdomen. 
  4. Repeat this for 30-45 seconds. 

Once you’re done, take a short break of 20 seconds before proceeding to the next one.


Leg Raises

One of the most active and oldest exercises for abs, leg raises can be a little tricky to master. Therefore, keeping it slow is key to benefiting from this type of exercise. Although one must be cautious while performing them, they are excellent to develop core strength. It enhances balance and stability along with improving your overall flexibility.

Steps to Perform Leg Raises

  1. Put your hands by your sides as you lie down on the floor.
  2. Ground your feet on the floor while keeping your knees up.
  3. Now the next step involves utilizing your core muscles to lift your legs straight up in the air.
  4. For beginners, lower your legs halfway and then lift them back again. But if you’re comfortable dropping the legs down, then do so. 
  5. Remember to breathe out as you lift your legs and breathe in a while, lowering them down. 
  6. Repeat 10 to 12 reps as a beginner and gradually move to 25 to 50 with time. Initially, it is advised to perform 2 to 3 sets. 

Take your break and stretch yourself for 20 to 30 seconds.


Switching Mountain Climbers

Also known as running planks, mountain climbers' exercise is essential for building core strength, cardio endurance, and quads, arms, and shoulders. It is also known as a total-body workout as it targets the entire body. It helps you burn calories rapidly along with offering you health benefits. This workout for abs stabilizes the whole body. 

Steps to Perform Switching Mountain Climbers

  1. We have mentioned that mountain climbers are also known as running planks. So the first step is to recall the plank position. Yes, the initial push-up position is our first step.
  2. Now, “running planks,” as the name suggests, you have to keep up the running motion, but there’s a twist! You have to keep altering your direction and switching sides. 
  3. The aim of switching mountain climber exercise is to pressure the side abdominal muscles surrounding your abs. This is achieved through twisting and squeezing your waist.
  4. Continue this for up to 35 to 45 seconds.

Knee To Elbow

Our final workout is the trickiest one on the list. The knee to elbow exercise targets glutes, abs, and hip flexors. Although you will feel it’s an easy one while reading about it. But let us tell you that it is a high-pressure workout. Therefore you might feel very drained. 


Steps to Perform Knee To Elbow

  1. Lay down on the ground in the plank position with your toes and elbows touching the ground. 
  2. Start by bringing your right knee upward to touch your left elbow. Remember to maintain a flat back and a tight core.
  3. Maintain the position and then slowly return to the starting point. 
  4. Now repeat the workout with the other side and keep switching directions. 

Once you’re done with the workouts, stretch your abs as you might feel the strain, especially during the initial days. 


Protip (Decathlon)

While it is okay for beginners to follow these exercises to start the ab workout journey, but eventually, as you proceed, you will require some essential bodybuilding equipment. Don’t worry; Decathlon is your one-stop fitness destination. 

We offer high-quality equipment at low prices and ensure to provide guide support so that you can learn the correct way to lift the weight. You can additionally visit the decathlon blogs where we regularly update health and fitness content. 


Diet To Be Followed During Abs Exercise At Home

We know that exercise is vital to maintain a healthy body. But do you know what’s even more crucial? A proper diet that can complement your workout plan. While some people think that workout alone is enough to develop a healthy body, let’s state that it’s a sure-shot path to nutrition depletion in the body. 


A healthy and balanced diet becomes a necessity when you incorporate heavy training into your schedule. The morning meal or breakfast stands out to be the most important meal of the day, which, unfortunately, most of the millennials skip because of the unhealthy lifestyle. 


Importance of Breakfast

Based on a study published by Harvard Health, regularly consuming breakfast can reduce obesity, heart diseases, and diabetes. It is imperative to begin your day with a bowl of healthy meals which can refill your blood sugar to provide energy to your brain and muscles. Therefore, if you’re planning to build abs, never miss your breakfast as it can make you feel dizzy during workouts and lethargic during the whole day. 


Food to Eat

Along with regular workouts, consume these healthy foods to boost your abs development. Eating healthy food will also play a vital part in the holistic growth of your body and mind. 


Fruits and Vegetables

Filled with antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and fiber, vegetables and fruits are a must-have as they are low in calories and high in nutritional values. Eating four servings of vegetables every day can boost weight loss and reduce waist circumference, making them a crucial part of an ad-building diet. 


Whole grains

Oats, quinoa, barley, and buckwheat play an essential role in the ab-building process. Apart from being rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, whole grains also facilitate weight loss and digestion. Consuming whole grains has also resulted in a reduction in appetite, which boosts weight loss and fastens up the ab development. 


Nuts and Seeds

Let’s take a look at the following studies:

  • Eating just 43 grams of almonds every day for six weeks can reduce belly fat. 
  • Consuming chia flour regularly for 12 weeks has resulted in reduced waist circumference and body weight. 

These results are a testament to how vital nuts and seeds are and why you must include them to balance your diet. Some other must-have nuts and seeds are walnuts, pistachios, peaches, brazil nuts, flax, pumpkin, and hemp. 


Fatty Fish

Ironic, right? To reduce fat, you have to consume ‘fatty’ fish. Jokes apart, fish like tuna, mackerel, sardines, and salmon are a storehouse of omega-3 fatty acids, which is essential in keeping your heart hearty, enhancing brain function, and controlling weight. 

Additionally, fish are a rich source of protein which can facilitate your abdominal toning. 


Legumes 

From protein, fiber, copper, magnesium, iron, zinc to B vitamins, legumes are a holistic source of nutrition. Legumes include beans, peas, and peanuts, which can help you reduce belly fat and fasten the ab development process.  


Tea

Green tea contains a compound that increases the number of calories burned throughout the day. This compound is also known as EGCG or epigallocatechin gallate. People who consume green tea regularly have shown reduced belly fat, waist circumference, and weight. 
Other teas such as black tea, oolong, white and herbal varieties have also shown effective results in reducing belly fat and waist. 


Food to Avoid

Now that we know what to consume, it is also imperative to understand the kinds of food that one must avoid to maintain their health. Here is the list of food items you need to stay away from to develop your abs. Remember, consuming these food products can negatively affect your workout results. 


Alcohol 

Not a surprise, but a must-avoid product. Excessive alcohol intake can result in increased belly fat and waist circumference. 


Fried Food

Yes, they are very tempting and delicious, but building abs requires sacrifice, which is inevitable. Fried food contains a massive amount of calories and trans fat. The latter allows oil to stay solid at room temperature, which increases weight and heart diseases. 


Sugar-Sweetened Drinks

Most of us love carbonated drinks like soda and other soft drinks. But sadly, you will have to give up on them if you want to build abs. 

These drinks are filled with calories and sugar, which increases belly fat and leads to weight gain. Additionally, they also slow down the metabolism, again leading to fat storage inside the body. 


Snacks containing Sugar

We just discussed how Sugar is harmful to the body and can hinder the healthy process of abs development. Therefore, it is advisable to minimize the consumption of cakes, cookies, and candies. 

Additionally, they also contain fructose, which increases hunger and makes us consume more food. Ultimately, increasing the fat in the body. 


Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) About Workout For Abs 

Below are some of the common FAQs which beginners usually ask for. Understanding these doubts will help you increase your knowledge and the quality of your abs-development training.


How do females get abs? 

The mentioned exercises are universal. You can also call them abs workout at home for ladies. Therefore, irrespective of your gender, performing these exercises regularly will help you build abs. 


Can we get abs with belly fat?

An interesting question, but the answer is a plain ‘no.’ You cannot have abs with belly fats. The reason behind this is to have defined abs. You will need to eliminate fat from your abdominal area. 

Therefore, your abs will be only visible when you get rid of the subcutaneous fat surrounding your abdominal region. 


Do planks burn fat?

As mentioned in the above-listed workouts, planks are among the most common movements that target the abdominal area and help in reducing fat. It is also regarded as one of the best calorie-burning exercises. 

This is because it works on multiple muscles of the body and develops your body’s core strength. 


Conclusion

With that, we come to the end of the article about workouts for abs. Remember, working out is necessary to build abs but incorporating a proper diet is equally important. 

Please feel free to connect with us if you need any guidance in your fitness journey. As mentioned earlier, we are also well equipped with every product you can require for your training. We wish you all the best in your fitness journey. 
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