5 Best Tummy Tightening Exercises for Men and Women

Tummy tightening exercises work by sculpting the core and obliques. There are several large muscles in the abdomen, with the rectus abdominis producing the famous 'six pack'.

Along with the transverses abdominis, which are frequently referred to as the body's natural corset, there are internal and external obliques either side of the abdominis. You need to work on all these muscles in addition to crunches to get strong, tight abs.

Not only is the core the center of the body, but it also contributes significantly to overall strength and is used in almost all movements. A weak core increases the risk of injury by forcing other muscles to overcompensate.

While many want to rush through an ab workout, keep in mind that when it comes to tummy tightening exercises, slowness is always preferable. Breathe deeply, and go slowly, controlling each step.

Best Tummy Tightening Exercises

Fortunately, a lot of different tummy tightening exercises are secure and efficient. Numerous layers of your core can be strengthened by combining and contrasting these exercises to form a routine. You will have perfect posture, more stability, and less joint pain if your core is strong.

You can better target all the necessary muscles by mixing up your ab exercises. Give your sides, upper abs, and lower abs the right amount of attention. Here's a look at five such exercises:

1) Tabletop crunch and reach

This tummy tightening exercise adds an overhead extension and lifts the legs to a tabletop position to give the basic crunch a twist. This exercise can be made more challenging by holding a light dumbbell in both hands the entire time.

Instructions:

Rest flat on your back, and raise both knees 90 degrees from the floor.
Crunch your abs by extending your arms past your knees and down near the ankles.
Straighten your knees at an angle, and raise your arms above your head as you drop yourself out of the crunch.
Crunch while bringing your legs back to a 90-degree angle to get back to your starting position.

2) Reverse crunch heel touch

Most reverse crunches entail rolling the legs into the chest. However, this tummy tightening exercise requires a pause before it begins so that you may concentrate on contracting your lower abdominals.

Instructions:

Put your hands behind your head while lying flat on your back.
When your knees are at a 90-degree angle, pull your upper body into a crunch.
Attempt to hold the static crunch, and touch your heels to the floor while keeping your legs at a 90-degree angle.
As you exhale, raise your legs back to the top of the table.
Once you've established the correct form, think about incorporating ankle weights to make the exercise more difficult.

3) Flutter kick

To get the most out of this tummy tightening exercise and to safeguard your lower back, it's essential to keep the lower back anchored to the floor.

Instructions:

From a backward position, raise your legs till they are parallel to the ground and above your hips.
By tensing your abs, secure your lower back to the floor.
Squat as low as you can while maintaining a firm ground connection with your lower back.
Raise your feet by an inch once you've found a challenging height.
Start kicking your legs in small upward and downward motions.

4) V-sit

Make this tummy tightening exercise more difficult by sitting back up after lowering your legs and torso as low as you can without hitting the floor. Maintain a bent knee position throughout the motion to make it simpler.

Instructions:

Keeping the legs straight in front of you, start out on your back.
Bring your knees up to your chest while sitting up straight and touching your heels.
Stoop down as you return to the floor with your legs straight.
To begin a new rep, get back up.

5) One leg plank

If you want an even greater challenge, try adding a resistance band to your thighs just above your knees while performing this variation of the plank with your bodyweight.

Instructions:

In a shoulder-width position, place your forearms on the ground, with your elbows behind your shoulders and arms parallel to your body.
Squeeze your glutes as you dig your toes into the ground.
From this position, raise your right foot a few inches, and hold for 5-10 seconds.
The left foot should be lowered next, followed by the right.

Takeaway

Always keep in mind that tummy tightening exercises help tone your abs and correct posture. However, it's impossible to 'spot reduce' fat in specific areas of the body.

That means even if you perform hundreds of repetitions, you might not end up with six-pack abs. Instead, focus on lowering overall body fat by consuming fewer calories and maintaining a regular exercise schedule.