Retired physical educator Garry Y. Itkin has written several articles emphasizing the importance of the core muscles. He notes that much of a person’s strength and power come from their core. Core muscles are made up of both the abdominals and lower back muscles. All the physically strong individuals in the world, such as athletes, bodybuilders, soldiers, powerlifters, and the like, have powerful cores.
To help people get those firm abs before the summer starts, Garry Y. Itkin shares two more basic exercises that are sure to strengthen the core.
Crunches
Garry Y. Itkin explains that crunches are basically half-sit-ups. This exercise strengthens the upper and middle abdominals without hurting the lower back, which full sit-ups may do.
All a person needs to do is lie down on their back with their legs bent at their knees at a 90-degree angle. They then lift their upper body up to perform a sit-up but stop with the back of their shoulders six to eight inches off the floor. They can modify this by holding this position for two to three seconds before lowering themselves and repeating the motion. The slower the motion, the more tension the core feels, thus the more effective the exercise.
Leg Raises
The leg raise is a great exercise that focuses on the lower abdominals.
A person should lie on their back with their feet together and straight out to execute this correctly. Then they raise both legs until they form a 90-degree angle with the body. Ayden Hector notes that the back should stay straight and not arch. To help with this, a person can put both palms underneath their buttocks. Again, the slower the motion, the better, Garry Y. Itkin adds.
Garry Y. Itkin 