Why you shouldn’t fall for those tacky Ab informercials, and 3 BIG reasons to stick with abdominal floor exercises.

transverse abdominals, internal & external obliques, rectus abdominis

Ever find yourself sitting in front of the television at 3 am with a blank stare flipping through channels hoping something entertaining will come on the television.  And what do you find? The Ab Rocket, Ab Roller, Sit & Twist, Ab Ripper, and pretty much every creative gadget you can imagine, all jumping at the opportunity to instantly fix all your belly busting problems.  Here’s the thing. These pieces of equipment are NOT instant fixes like they guarantee.  If your not already involved in regular exercising, buying one of these instant fitness tools will not help fight the flab. It takes hard work and a balanced lifestyle. They are brain washing YOU by saying, “ Why are you doing floor exercises, stop straining your neck!”, have you herd this one before? If you are pulling on your neck during abdominal exercises, STOP! it’s improper technique.  TIP: place finger tips behind the ears instead of wrapping your hands around the neck. This will prevent  neck straining. Focus on contracting(pulling) with the stomach and not with your arms. Floor exercises are effective movements that build core strength, increase neuro-muscluar response, and a sure way to prevent future injuries. Here are 3 big reasons why maybe you should be doing abdominal floor exercises.

1. Neuro-Muscular Response (NMR)- the ability of the brain to effectively signal each muscle to contract both consciously and more importantly subconsciously. The Brain is the quarterback of the body, and sends electrical signals to the muscle fibers, telling it what to do. These signals are learned and become more and more efficient over time,  just like a well practiced football team. The repetitive motion of floor exercises trains the brain to produce a faster response time and greater muscle contraction(stimulating a greater amount of muscle fibers). Performing floor exercises is kind of like Ab practice! Allowing you to effectively use the core more often when you need it!
2. Lack of Mobility - Floor exercises allow people with lack of mobility  to effectively train the core musculature. People who are unable to perform other stimulating dynamic abdominal exercises like the  body squat, can perform floor exercises to help stimulate and strengthen the core. Make sure to pay close attention to technique and always place your finger tips behind the ears(avoid pulling on your neck).
3. Injury Prevention – The core is your bodies foundation, why would you jeopardize your health and NOT have a rock solid base of support. Training the core will dramatically decrease your chances of lower back pain and future injuries.

Floor exercises are not necessary for everyone, but many of us can benefit! Check out TONS of floor exercises at www.thepoormansgym.com. START your practice today, NOT tomorrow!