Having a flat and muscular stomach is the dream of many people. Your body becomes healthier and you feel more confident about your appearance. Of course, there are several ways to get an ideal stomach, such as maintaining a healthy diet, getting good quality sleep and mandatory exercise. There are a few simple exercises that you can do anywhere and at any time that will help you to get a flat and muscular stomach. Here are some exercises that can help you to shrink your stomach :
1. Sit-Up
Sit-ups are one of the basic exercises that involve the abdominal muscles, where the sit-up movement focuses on contracting the up and down movements of the abdominal muscles. Plus, this exercise can be done anywhere, anytime, so it's perfect for those of you with busy schedules. Here are the steps for doing sit-ups:
Begin by lying on your back on the floor or a surface with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
Place your hands behind your head or on your chest.
Lift your upper body towards your knees using your abdominal muscles.
Keep your lower back on the floor.
Lower the body back with control to the starting position.
Do not pull your neck or head with your hands and focus your energy on your abdominal muscles.
You can do 3 sets of sit-ups, with each set consisting of 10-15 repetitions, interspersed with 1 minute of rest per set. For maximum results, you can also use a sit-up mat and dumbbells to help you build muscle.
2. Plank
If you only have a short amount of time to exercise, then the plank is the perfect exercise for you to do. This exercise also does not require a lot of tools or space, so you can simply use a mat as your tool. Here are the steps to do the plank:
Start in a push-up position but place your weight on your forearms (elbows) and toes.
Make sure that the body is in a straight line from the head to the heels.
Hold this position for as long as possible with your abs and buttocks tightened to maintain stability.
After the desired time, carefully lower the body.
Avoid lifting your hips too high or bending your hips downward.
You can perform this movement for 10 - 20 seconds with repetitions of 3 to 5 sets with a 30 second rest interval. For maximum results and to avoid being slippery from sweat, use a comfortable mat.
3. Skipping
Skipping or jumping rope is one of the cardiovascular exercises to help burn calories faster. This sport also requires only a skipping rope as a tool. By doing this exercise regularly, you can shrink and tone your abdominal muscles. Here are the steps you need to take to make the jump move:
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a skipping rope in your hands.
Rotate the skipping rope in front of the body while jumping lightly.
Try not to let your feet get too high off the ground.
Focus on rhythm and coordination, and use your wrist to turn the rope instead of your whole arm.
For beginners, you can do 30 seconds or 50 jumps in a row with 3-4 sets of repetitions and 20 seconds rest per set. You can also use a digital jump rope to help you count the number of jumps you've done, so you can focus more without having to count your jumps.
4. Running
Running is a highly recommended exercise to burn your calories. You can use a treadmill as a tool to do running sports while indoors and sauna clothes to sweat, so it can burn even more calories. Here are tips to help you maximize your calorie burn:
Start with a light warm-up such as walking or jogging slowly.
Use fast and slow intervals.
High Interval: Run at a high intensity for 20-30 seconds.
Recovery Interval: Walk or jog slowly for 40-60 seconds.
Do this cycle for 15-30 minutes depending on your fitness level.
Before starting your run, make sure to warm up and cool down with stretching and light recovery to avoid injury. It is also advisable to use a smart treadmill to help you track your pulse, body fat, time, speed, distance and calories burned. By paying attention to the above aspects, you can estimate the target calories burned or the distance you want to run.
5. Russian Twist
If you like to use weights and like a little heavy movement, then the Russian Twist is the exercise for you. This exercise can help you get six-pack abs by focusing on the side and lower abdominal muscles. Here are the steps to do the russian twist:
Sit down with your knees bent and your heels touching the floor as you lean back slightly.
Hold dumbbells with both hands and keep arms straight in front of you.
Turn your torso to the right, touching the dumbbells to the floor.
Rotate to the left, touching the dumbbells to the other side.
Do 10 repetitions on each side.
Don't forget to adjust the weight so that you can perform the movements more perfectly because the main focus of this exercise is on good posture so don't use too heavy weights.
In addition to the above exercises, maintaining a good quality of sleep and a healthy diet are also aspects that need to be considered. Starting from the food menu, meal time, and meal frequency. To get an ideal stomach is also not something that can be done instantly, it takes consistency over a long period of time for sure. Therefore, it is important to maintain a healthy lifestyle in the long run.
Aldrich - 18 May 2025
