The trick I learned from a physiotherapist to do sit-ups without realizing it
My physio's advice seemed like a postural indication, but a personal trainer has explained to me that this trick has more significance for my abs than it seems. As if by magic, I saw myself taller. They also saw me that way, and my abs noticed an extra activation that I did not expect with such a simple gesture. My physiotherapist recommended a change in my posture and I thought it would be very beneficial for the posture of the hip and spine. I did not expect my stomach to benefit as it has despite the fact that the gesture was concentrated in the abdominal area. The ace up my sleeve that my physiotherapist gave me is abdominal elongation, that is, stretching the rib cage avoiding abdominal compression. In this way, the abs are forced to do strength work, which allows for an activation of the core almost without realizing it. "Stretching the abdomen involves having to exert force in that area. It is a strategy to strengthen the middle zone," explains Álvaro Puche, a graduate in Physical Activity and Sports Sciences and personal trainer, author of Strength Training for Seniors: Exercises and Tips for Aging Strong and in Good Health. Stretching the abdominal area to activate the core The easy way to explain how to stretch the abdominal area that my physiotherapist recommended to me is to place the palms of my hands on the thorax, one below the navel and the other below the chest and try to separate them by stretching the abdomen without forcing any other area of the body. By correcting this posture, the hips and shoulders are placed in their natural plane and not in the one we tend to force, humping our spine. If you do it in front of a mirror, you will realize how this postural correction allows you to lengthen and stylize your figure immediately. The bad thing is that if we don't focus on correction, we tend to fall into the vice of bad posture and lose core activation quickly. The trainer's advice Alvaro Puche, on the other hand, prefers to avoid focusing only on that practice when it comes to working the abdomen. "I wouldn't recommend just stretching the abdomen to strengthen it. You have to include work on different planes, for example, doing a front or side plank, doing anti-rotation work on the trunk while standing... Doing any type of unilateral exercise, back, pushing or pulling, such as a lunge or a Bulgarian squat. All of that, unilaterally, will help strengthen the middle zone. And, of course, working the glutes, which are very important at the back level," says the expert. As an extra tip, the trainer adds the importance of posture and technique in any exercise that is performed. "We need to focus on motor control work, which is the link between our brain and our muscles. In other words, work that allows you to see yourself in the mirror to be aware of how you move when doing any exercise. This greatly improves body schema and proprioception. And it's also a really cool workout to address issues of improving the core beyond pure muscle strengthening or stretching work."