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A TikTok craze that is genuinely effective, the stomach vacuum exercise serves as an isometric workout that works the abs well. Your core abdominal muscle is contracted during this exercise. It can be done in a variety of situations, including lying down and standing.
The stomach vacuum exercise, despite its name, is not a medical treatment or a home task. In fact, it's a form of abdominal contraction that's been employed in physical therapy and the weightlifting world for decades.
Core muscular strengthening improves posture and movement, lowers back pain, and may also tone and reduce the stomach. While stomach cleaning might help improve your core, it's important to do it right.
How to do the Stomach Vacuum Exercise
Jenny Brennecke (h/t @drjennypt) breaks down the exercise in her viral TikTok video, noting that it strengthens your transversus abdominis.
Brennecke recommends doing this workout on an empty stomach early in the morning. Her 'stomach vacuum exercise' video has received over 660k views.
"The transversus abdominis essentially functions as a corset that wraps around your body, which, when strengthened, may make the waist seem a little slimmer," she says.
Brennecke provides the following directions for performing the exercise in her demonstration:
- Begin the exercise by exhaling all the air from your lungs.
- Return your belly button to your spine. Brennecke compares contracting the abdominal muscles to going into a frigid lake or pool.
- Keep your breath for ten to fifteen seconds before releasing it.
- Repeat for a total of five sets, three to four times per week.
The Downside of the Stomach Vacuum Exercise
The most dangerous risk is the one that you can't see: the disinformation and imagery on TikTok, which can harm your mental health.
Some TikTokers who demonstrate the "stomach vacuum exercise" believe it results in a smaller waistline and flatter stomach, but many fitness instructors agree that this is greatly exaggerated.
You're not going to master the stomach vacuum exercise and have a flat stomach overnight if you're not taking a look at your diet along with everything else you're doing, which can be a dangerous mentality.
Stomach Vacuum Exercise Benefits
The stomach vacuum exercise has several advantages:
1) It lowers the risk of back injuries
This is an excellent workout for people who suffer from lower back pain since stomach vacuuming stimulates the transversus abdominus muscle, which strengthens the core and leads to better posture.
2) It can help you get a smaller waist
Reducing stomach fat is one of the biggest concerns people have when trying to lose weight. Performing this exercise consistently along with the right diet can help you achieve this goal.
3) It enhances the mind and body connection
There is a degree of fitness that you can access by mentally connecting with your body during an exercise as well as during your breath, which can help you maximize the gains you desire.
4) It increases blood flow
Correctly doing the exercise increases the blood flow and takes it more efficiently to the extremities of the body, such as the feet and the hands. It can, hence, help in making your legs feel lighter.
The Final Verdict
Doing the stomach vacuum workout regularly could play a role in flattening your stomach. However, like so many other viral TikTok trends, it may be a touch overhyped.
You should keep in mind that lots of the influencers who credit this exercise for their slim and taut stomach probably also perform a lot of other exercises and eat a nutritious diet.
While incorporating this exercise into your daily schedule in the morning may provide some health benefits, avoid expecting your waistline to magically shrink overnight.
Trainers wouldn't subject their customers to grueling ab exercises like crunches, planks, sit-ups, and cycling kicks if getting flat abs was as simple as simply taking a couple of deep breaths every day.
