Most of us are familiar with training our abs. We do sit ups, crunches, leg lifts along with a multitude of other exercises that work the “Beach Muscles”; however there is an overlooked muscle in the abdominal cavity called the “Transversus Abdominis” and it acts like a natural weight belt, by keeping the stomach from sticking out or protruding. If you are one who suffers from lower back pain this weak muscle may be the culprit as it provides thoracic and pelvic stability. For all the women out there this muscle helps a great deal in the delivery of a child. As always check with your doctor before attempting any exercises while pregnant or injured in anyway.
So how does one work the muscle that helps to keep a protruding belly in check? It’s called a Stomach Vacuum or Abdominal Draw.
Start by laying on your back. Slowly take a deep breath and then exhale all the air from your lungs. After all the air is out of your lungs pull your stomach in like you are trying to have it touch your spine. Once you have compressed it in as much as possible hold it for 10 secs and release it. Repeat this 4x total. Now you have one more ab exercise to add to your arsenal.
