If you work a 9-to-5 and find yourself stuck in the office all day long, don’t worry! Sitting at a desk all day is no reason not to work out, really. This simple and innovative routine will work your abs from all angles, even when you can drop to crank out some crunches! For an even tougher workout do this circuit 2-3 times.
Breath of Fire
One of the best ways to activate your deepest abdominal layer—the transverse abdominals—is to use your breath.
1. Sit up tall and draw your navel in towards your spine. Hold your hands to your lower belly and take a few rounds of breath.
2. Take a deep inhale through your nose and a sharp forceful exhale through your mouth. Force the air out and snap your belly back towards your spine. The force of the exhale creates a vacuum which naturally sucks your next inhale in.
3. Continue in this way, exhaling strongly and letting the inhale happen as a reflex. Continue for a round of 10-30 breaths. Your abs should feel sore after this!
Seated Leg Lifts
1. Sit up tall and draw your navel in and up. Extend your legs in front of you and flex both feet.
2. Take a deep inhale and as you exhale, lift your leg. Inhale as you bring it down and exhale as you lift the other leg.
3. Try not to lean back or round your spine. Feel free to place a tiny bend in your knee if your hamstrings are tight. Continue for a round of 20.
Seated Bicycle Crunches
1. Sit up tall and engage abs by drawing your navel in and up and knitting your front ribs in.
2.Interlace your fingers and place them behind your head. Broaden your shoulder blades and draw them down your back.
3. Lengthen your legs out in front of you. Take a deep inhale and as you exhale, take your right elbow to the outside of your left knee. Inhale back to center and repeat taking your left elbow to the outside of your right knee. Continue for a round of 30.
Boat to Half Boat
Anyone who has visited my yoga classes knows how much I love doing this in my classes. This is the seated version.
1. Hold onto the edges of your chair. Balancing on your sitbones, sit up tall and lift through the center of your chest broadening across your collarbones.
2. Inhale and begin to lean back keeping a straight spine. Do your best not to round though your lower spine. Exhale and lift through chest to come back up. Repeat for a round of 30.
Boat Pose Hold
This one might be the toughest of them all, but I know you can do it, stay strong!
1. Sit up tall balancing on both sitbones.
2. Tuck your knees toward your chest and flex both feet.
3. Use your abs to keep your tuck and your chest lifted. Hold for 30 seconds-1 min.
Angela Kukhahn, Fabletics Master
