How to tighten your stomach for weight loss?
Most of us, even having a small tummy, have a complex about this. You probably try to tighten your abdominal muscles almost always when you pay attention to it. As soon as you forget, the telltale fat immediately falls out of your trousers. But frequent retraction of the abdomen can really help get rid of extra centimeters on it.
Let's look at what exercises you need to do for this:
- Training the oblique and lateral abdominal muscles. Do the exercise on the floor. Get on all fours, exhale as much air as there is in your lungs, and with all your strength, pull in your abdominal muscles “all the way.” Try to hold this position for at least 20 seconds, then take a breath. Rest for about half a minute, then repeat the retraction a couple of times.
- Transverse muscle training. Rest your knees on the floor, and sit with your buttocks on your heels. Place your hands on your knees and repeat drawing in the abdominal muscles according to the scheme of the previous exercise.
- Training the rectus and oblique abdominal muscles. Retracting the abdominal muscles for weight loss while sitting on a chair. Place your hands on your knees and keep your back straight. Suck your stomach in again and hold on for as long as you can. Remember that before retracting you need to exhale as much air as possible and not breathe during the exercise.
- Comprehensive abdominal workout. To perform the approach, you need to lie on your back and bend your knees, with your arms along your body. Record the feeling of tension in the abdominal muscles and draw them in according to the previous pattern.
We at hudeem-bez-problem.ru advise you to pull in your stomach not only during training hours, but also at any free moment - at work, in transport, etc.
In principle, you can simply keep your abs tense all the time, even this will help strengthen the abdominal muscles of all groups. Many who have tried to always walk with their stomach retracted sometimes even forget to relax it.
Everyday workout
In order to develop the habit of drawing in your stomach, you can do this simple exercise for 5-10 seconds throughout the day.
The number of such approaches is at your discretion. This technique is also very effective for reducing waist size. The technique of performing the exercise is extremely simple: you need to take a deep breath through your nose to draw as much air into your chest as possible, and then quickly exhale all the air through your mouth. Immediately after this, pull in your stomach as much as your capabilities allow. Hold this position and do not breathe for about 20-30 seconds. You can practice this kind of abdominal retraction not only during the time allotted for training, but also when you have a free moment - for example, while in transport or at your workplace. Regular abdominal tension helps to work out all groups of abdominal muscles.
Should you suck your stomach in: what experts say
Doctors have different opinions on whether it is useful to do a so-called “vacuum” in the abdomen. Let us present the theses of both sides.
Opinion of adherents of the technique about abdominal retraction:
- This is a good “massage” for internal organs, which, first of all, is useful for intestinal motility;
- This is the prevention of bloating;
- This is training the abdominal muscles, which will come in handy for a woman during childbirth;
- This is the formation of a strong muscle corset and the prevention of hernias;
- This is a healthy spine.
To the question “is it harmful to suck in your stomach?” opponents of such gymnastics answer:
- Retracting the abdomen and constantly “holding” the abs is extremely undesirable, especially for women due to the possibility of the formation of adhesions of the intestines, fallopian tubes and appendages;
- In their opinion, nature did not intend for a person to walk with constantly tense muscles. This can provoke the occurrence of various cysts, obstruction of the fallopian tubes, etc. The desire to have an ideal figure makes women infertile en masse;
- Strong pressure inside the abdomen, provoked by artificial retraction of the press, disrupts the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, which is why a person may suffer from constipation, ulcerative colitis, fecal stones, etc.
As we see, the “vacuum” in the stomach has both supporters and opponents. Considering the facts and arguments presented, only you can decide whether you need to tighten your stomach to lose weight.
Who is prohibited from practicing
It is strictly forbidden to tighten your stomach using the above exercises if:
- diagnosed stomach and (or) duodenal ulcer, if the disease occurs in the acute phase;
- menses;
- pregnancy.
It is imperative to consult a doctor and practice techniques with a high degree of caution when:
- lung problems;
- diseases of the heart and blood vessels;
- problems in those organs that are closest to the diaphragm;
- the presence of hernias in the abdominal cavity;
- weakened abdominal muscles or if the stomach is too large.
Abdominal retraction for weight loss: reviews
Many users of our site have tried abdominal retraction for the purpose of losing weight. Here's what they write about their experience:
- I was interested in this technique because I have always experienced discomfort from my less than ideal tummy. At first I did gymnastics every day, almost for hours. But then I got tired of it and started sucking in my stomach constantly. I’ve been “working out” this way for almost a year now, and I forgot what fat on the waist and stomach is. And it’s somehow even unusual for me to walk with relaxed muscles. Nadya, 28 years old
- The entire Internet is replete with calls and various materials on the topic of this gymnastics. Well, I thought of trying it. I did it for a long time and every day, measured centimeters, weighed myself, took photographs to see how it was and how it became. But after two months I didn’t notice any results, so I returned to the good old exercises to pump up my abs. Alisa, 30 years old
- I believe that pulling in the abdomen cannot in any way build muscles. And this confirms the experience of my friends. After all, what does it take for muscles to work? You need to relax and tense them alternately. And this “methodology” does not put any stress on the abdominal muscles at all. Perhaps there will be some benefit from retraction (massage of the intestines, etc.), but the abs certainly will not be pumped up. Alla, 25 years old
Whether it is possible to retract the stomach for the purpose of losing weight must be analyzed in each specific case. Of course, this gymnastics is contraindicated for pregnant women, people who have recently undergone abdominal surgery, and in a number of other cases.
Author - Natalya Degtyareva, portal about weight loss WE LOSE WEIGHT without problems!
How it works
Many people are interested in how effective the abdominal retraction method is and what results it can achieve. How many centimeters and in what time frame can you reduce your waist by regularly performing this exercise? And is it even possible to do it to lose weight?
To answer all these questions, you need to understand what happens in the body during such regular training:
- intestinal motility improves, and if there are no problems with digestion, then the deposition of fats in reserve will not occur;
- frequent and prolonged retraction of the abdomen forces the muscles to fix this position, later they get used to it and themselves keep it flat and beautiful;
- as a result, waist size decreases;
- if the correct breathing technique is observed, the tissues receive a sufficient amount of oxygen, metabolic processes improve, and all this together leads to slow, but still weight loss;
- your posture straightens, and this makes your figure much slimmer.
So, with the right approach, pulling in the abdomen will reduce your waist size and contribute to faster weight loss. But at the same time, the question remains relevant: won’t you have to sacrifice your own health, gaining a slim figure in such an easy, at first glance, way? After all, experts have differing opinions on this matter.
Execution technique
To achieve results, you need to learn how to properly retract your stomach. By mastering this exercise and performing it correctly, you can not only increase its effectiveness, but also avoid complications. Read detailed instructions on how to do this, watch step-by-step photos and training videos from masters. Rules from fitness trainers will allow you to resolve many dubious issues.
- Close your lips tightly.
- Hold the breath.
- Lower your head onto your chest.
- Concentrate on the abdominal cavity.
- Start counting slowly, and at each count, gradually move your stomach inward until it resembles a flat board.
- Gradually, the abdominal organs are removed under the ribs. So the press no longer becomes flat, but concave. It should resemble a dent, like a half-deflated ball. You should feel it sticking to your back. Hence the name of this technique - vacuum.
- When you inhale, the chest fills with air as much as possible, and when you exhale, the abdomen is drawn in.
- Having pulled in your stomach as much as you can, you need to count up to 8. For beginners, up to 3-4 is enough. In the future, to increase the pace, it is better to pronounce each number three times.
If you feel that you are doing it incorrectly (discomfort may appear or after 2-3 weeks there will be no result), do not waste money and time to seek help from a trainer. He will look at your performance, point out errors and tell you how to fix them. Only in this case, losing weight and reducing waist size will become a reality, and not a dream.
If you suck your stomach in every day, several things will happen.
The exercise for retracting the abdomen in simple language is called “vacuum”, and among yogis “Uddiyana Bandha”. It is performed on an empty stomach and always while exhaling. The person exhales air and then retracts the abdominal muscles as seen in the picture below.
Then the position is fixed for several seconds and, finally, we release the abdominal muscles simultaneously with inhalation. You can repeat it twice, based on desire and well-being. You can perform this several times a day, preferably while standing or sitting.
Results, benefits and reviews
If you look at people's reviews of vacuumization, you can understand how well the exercise works. This approach is best suited for people who simply do not have enough time to complete a full workout. You can even do this while walking; fresh air will only facilitate the activity. Moreover, even the owner of a large belly can cope with the task. With such training, it is not just the appearance of the abdomen that improves, but the appearance of the entire body as a whole. There are no contraindications to vacuum exercises.
How effective is exercise for weight loss?
You can't hope to completely destroy the belly with retraction alone. This only threatens disappointment, especially if the stomach does not retract at all during normal attempts.
To guarantee weight loss you need to take a comprehensive approach. Your belly will definitely shrink if you combine:
- workout,
- correct diet,
- various exercises.
Retracting the abdomen will help consolidate the result in the best possible way. When you need to correct its appearance, work on saggy skin, protruding bottom, make it flat and attractive. The most important thing is not to forget how to keep your stomach pulled in throughout the day, following all the recommendations.
You can't hope to completely destroy your stomach with just one retraction
What a beginner needs to know before starting to lose weight
Losing weight is a rather labor-intensive process and it is necessary to approach the start of exercise with preliminary preparation. Both physically and mentally, you need to prepare yourself for long-term work to achieve the desired result.
You need to lose weight correctly. At the first thought of a flat stomach or toned buttocks, you should not run to the gym and weigh yourself with all the exercise equipment available there. In addition to the fact that exercises must be performed correctly, excessive stress can have a negative impact on your well-being, not to mention possible injuries due to negligence.
First of all, you need to consult a doctor and find out what type of training will not harm you.
Important! Strength training is not suitable for those with weak bones and ligaments, cardio training is not suitable for people with heart disease or blood pressure.
It is necessary to approach the beginning of classes with the utmost care so that they are not harmful, but, on the contrary, bring only benefits and positive feelings. Otherwise, such workouts can get boring very quickly, and losing weight will be an impossible task.
You need to consult your doctor
How to correct your belly
You can correct your stomach using regular abdominal pumping. Of course, no one is stopping you from adding breathing practice - the results will appear faster.
Do not try to tighten your stomach with a belt or corset. You will simply overtighten it, which will cause the same problems as in the case of intestinal pinching.
Experts recommend learning not to suck in your stomach, but to tense your abdominal muscles. You don't have to breathe deeply to do this. You just need to be able to turn your muscles into stone. In this case, you will have beautiful abs without any harm to your health.
Intracted abdomen as a cause of serious illnesses
Millions of people have serious problems only because they do not know what harm the habit of sucking in the stomach causes to human health. I hope this article will help you get rid of this bad habit. I will not go into anatomical and physiological details, but this is not necessary, because everything that is written here you can check on your own body. I especially recommend that people with kidney disease, VSD, and gynecological diseases pay attention to this material.
This article will primarily focus on the lower abdomen. Those. the abdominal area below the navel. Looking ahead, I will say that retraction (blocking) of the abdomen is guaranteed to lead to disturbances in the functioning of the kidneys, large intestine, pelvic organs, and lumbar spine. The lower abdomen in a normal person should always be relaxed and participate in the breathing process.
How yogis do it
Pulling in your stomach the way yoga does is a very complex but effective method. During one breath-hold, they do up to 200 retractions. Therefore, anyone who wants to do the presented workouts should strive to increase the number of retractions.
Detailed instructions are provided on how to do a similar exercise, pulling in the abdomen for the abs, according to the yogi method:
- To do this, you need to stand on the floor with your feet slightly wider than your shoulders.
- Lean forward and rest your hands on your hips - while keeping your back straight, and bending only at the pelvis, not the lower back. For convenience, you can bend your knees slightly.
- Leaning slightly, you need to inhale air through your mouth and rise to the starting position, while retracting your abs as much as possible.
- It is recommended to lower your chin to avoid coughing.
- While holding your breath, you need to quickly relax your abdominal muscles and retract them again.
At first you will get from 2 to 5 retractions. After this, slowly inhale and straighten up, then inhale two more times. You can repeat these manipulations at least 3-10 times, but it all depends on the physical capabilities of the person - you should not overuse training in the first lessons. Pulling your abs in is a huge benefit for your internal organs. In addition, the procedure is not burdensome - it can be performed at any time. Vacuum exercises should not be performed on pregnant women or those who have undergone strip surgery. Before pumping the press using a vacuum, you should consult a doctor - retraction is allowed only for those who have no contraindications. Otherwise, using a vacuum can only make the situation worse. Detailed instructions can be viewed in the video provided.