Yasmin Karachiwala shows a modified and better way to do an abdominal curl. (Designed by Nidhi Mishra)
If you want washboard abs like Katrina Kaif or Deepika Padukone, you must add abdominal curl exercise to your daily workout regime. It helps strengthen abdominal muscles, especially the rectus abdominis, the muscle responsible for the formation of six-pack abs. It also helps improve digestion, increases blood flow and removes toxin from the body.
But do you know the right way to do it? Take cues from celebrity fitness trainer Yasmin Karachiwala, who recently posted a video on Instagram on how to go about it and also showed a modified version of the exercise.
She also wrote of the disadvantages of doing it wrong, “When you move incorrectly, it not only causes injuries, but it makes the exercise ineffective. So we believe that form is the foundation of every exercise we do”.
“The curl/crunch is one of the most common abdominal exercises. It not only works on rectus abdominis (six pack muscle) but also helps us understand how to flex the torso keeping the stability of the shoulders and keeping it relaxed while doing the movement”.
Watch the video here:
Karachiwala also shared a step-by-step process of the exercise:
* Begin by lying face up on the floor, knees bent hip-width apart and hip neutral with pelvic bone parallel to the ceiling. Keep your hands behind the head, elbows apart, chest open and neck long.
* The movement starts by lifting the head, chest, and shoulders towards the pelvis till the bottom edge of the shoulder blades.
* Do not pull on the neck as this could lead to a pull in the back muscles and no work happens around the abs as the effort is wasted around the neck, leading to neck pain.
* Its very important to keep the hip stable. Do not let it curl in as you crunch.
She further shared some tips for beginners, “start by supporting your neck with a towel, for you to understand width at the chest and back. It also helps you to relax your neck and focus all the efforts at the abdominals”.