Types of Exercises Without a Machine for Your Stomach

You can work your stomach muscles without expensive machinery.

Exercise is necessary to strengthen and flatten stomach muscles. Strong core muscles, those around the stomach and abdomen, can improve your balance and lead to better all-around physical fitness. You won't need to purchase a gym membership or an expensive piece of machinery to properly work your stomach muscles. Effective core exercises can be done right on the floor or by using a fitness ball.

Obliques

Whittle down your "love-handles," or the layer of fat covering your oblique muscles, by doing twisting type exercises. Twist crunches work both the internal and the external oblique muscles and can be done right on the floor. Just lie on your back and place your hands behind your head lifting your shoulders off the ground. Twist your body and bring your right knee towards your left elbow, and then extend your leg straight. Do the same on the other side. Standing trunk twists also benefit the oblique muscles. Stand with your feet apart and twist from side to side, bringing your arm across your body. Strengthening your lower back muscles will help tone the oblique muscles. Leg flutters can be done by lying on your stomach, lifting the legs off of the floor and fluttering them up and down in sets of 20.

Abdominals

Stomach crunches are effective exercises if you want to work your abdominal muscles. You don't need a lot of space or fancy equipment to exercise the abdominal muscles with crunches. Make your workout more effective by holding dumbbells to increase resistance. Start by lying down with legs bent at the knee and feet on the floor, keeping your hands behind your head. Tighten your core muscles while you curl up into a sitting position and then slowly recline back toward the floor.

Yoga

Two yoga moves that will benefit the abdominal and stomach area are the boat pose and the plank pose. Both exercises require no machinery. For the boat pose, sit on the floor and bring your knees to your chest. Extend your toes up toward the ceiling and lean back slightly so your body is at a 45-degree angle. Hold your arms straight so your palms are near your knees. Hold for at least 10 breaths. For the plank pose, lie on your stomach with palms down on the floor or yoga mat near your breast bone. Push your upper body until your arms are straight in a push-up position. If this move is too difficult, try a modified plank where your upper body rests on your forearms. Hold for at least 10 breaths.

Fitness Ball

Improve your balance, core stability and range of motion by using a fitness ball when doing stomach exercises. Do crunches by resting your back on the fitness ball and walking your feet forward until you are in a sitting position. Recline and repeat for sets of 20.

References

• Mayo Clinic: Core Exercises
• Flat Stomach Exercises: Love Handles
• Best Ab Exercises: Best Upper Ab Exercises
• Ab Core and Stomach Exercises: Abdominal Crunches
• Ab Core and Stomach Exercises: Abdominal Exercises on the Ball