5 CORE STRETCHES THAT WILL MAKE YOUR ABS FEEL AMAZING

When it comes to achieving a strong and toned core, we often focus on intense workouts and crunches. However, neglecting the importance of stretching can hinder our progress and leave our abs feeling tight and restricted.

Incorporating core stretches into your fitness routine not only helps improve flexibility but also enhances muscle recovery and prevents injuries.

In this article, we will explore five core stretches that will leave your abs feeling amazing and promote overall core strength.

Child’s posture

• Sit on your knees with your ankles extended and your toes pointing back. Spread your knees a little wider than your shoulders, lean forward and rest your forehead on the floor.
• Bend your hips and knees to sit back, moving your buttocks toward the back of your ankles. Place the backs of your hands on the floor, just outside your feet.
• Hold this position for 10 deep breaths. Extend your arms in front of your head, placing your palms flat on the floor shoulder-width apart, to deepen the stretch, if desired.

Cobra Pose

• Lie face down with your hands on the floor below your shoulders. Keep your forearms close to your sides, with your elbows pointing up. Extend your ankles so that your toes point back.
• Press your hips into the floor and lift your head and torso, arching your spine upward until you feel a gentle stretch in your abdomen.
• Hold this position for 15 to 30 seconds and then lower yourself back down.

Cross-legged stretch

• Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. She extends her arms, resting them on the ground.
• Lift and extend your left leg, then cross your left ankle over your right knee. Press into your right knee to straighten your leg further, deepening the stretch through your glutes.
• Turn your hips to the right, keeping your arms and shoulder blades on the floor. Move your right knee toward the floor as you rotate and place your left foot on the floor, just outside of your right knee.
• Hold this position for 15 to 30 seconds, then repeat on the other side.

Rotation of the spine

• Sit on the front edge of a chair with your feet flat on the floor.
• Turn your torso to the left and grab the back of the chair with your hands.
• Tighten your core muscles for five to ten seconds, then release the tension and press your hands on the chair to rotate a little more.
• Repeat this contraction/relaxation cycle several times, then repeat in the opposite direction, turning clockwise.

Cat/cow

• Start on your hands and knees. He exhales as you round your back, pull your navel toward your spine, and tuck your chin toward your chest.
• Starting with the tailbone, release one segment of the spine at a time, relaxing the lumbar spine, the thoracic spine (mid-back), and finally the cervical spine while lifting the chin to full flexion.
• Then reverse the movement. Be aware of segments that feel stuck. Breathe into those spaces and remember to move slowly. Complete 10 to 15 rounds.