Abdominals – What is the Stomach Vacuum exercise?
The vast majority of people follow the familiar way of strengthening their abs: crunches, leg lifts and lateral trunk bends.
However, most of the time it seems like something is missing or the empowerment is incomplete.
It is also common for the person to feel that the abdominal muscles do not support the internal organs well or are overly affected when the intestine has symptoms of irritability.
The solution probably lies in a simple yet extremely important exercise, also known as the stomach vacuum abdominal exercise.
The name has to do with the technique and can, within a few minutes a day, have a huge impact over a period of 3 weeks.
In addition to the functional and biomechanical aspects, this exercise can visually highlight the entire abdominals.
Of course, the appearance part also has to do with fat percentages, diet, water consumption, and the aerobic part of exercise. However, the feeling of core stability remains and is enjoyable.
The deep and superficial abdominals
The abdominal area is made up of the deep abdominals and the superficial muscle groups. The superficial abdominals are the ones we all know: the rectus abdominis and the lateral abdominals.
Crunching is essentially performed mainly using the rectus abdominis.
In fact, after 1/3 of the movement, the hip flexors are also involved.
If we add trunk rotation to abdominal exercises, the lateral abdominal muscles also take action.
The problem is that all these common abdominal exercises lack activation of the deep abdominal muscles.
What are the deep abdominal muscles?
The deep abdominal muscles are the transverse abdominis in combination with the multifidus muscles of the lumbar spine. These muscles are the ones truly responsible for the proper stabilization of the trunk.
The problem is that precisely because of their location, it is difficult to specifically strengthen them. We usually activate the superficial abdominal muscles and the transverse abdominis remains inactive and neglected.
This is also a main reason why the theory that with simple abdominal and back exercises we can have a stable torso and fewer back problems has now been debunked.
The deep abdominals, in addition to stability, also provide breathing control during high-intensity or heavy-load exercises. For example, in weightlifting exercises, the transverse abdominis ensures that the diaphragm functions smoothly and at the same time supports the lumbar spine. Therefore, a strong deep abdominal group will increase athletic performance and reduce the chances of injury to anatomical structures of the trunk.
The Stomach Vacuum exercise – How to do it correctly?
The Stomach Vacuum exercise is so important yet so simple. It is essentially an isometric contraction (contraction without movement) of the transverse abdominis.
To achieve it you will need to take the correct position: This position is in a standing position and with your hands resting firmly on a relatively low chair or simply resting on your hips.
Take a deep breath and then exhale* all the air.
*Caution is needed here as we have learned for wrong reasons that when we exhale, the abdomen inflates.
On the exhale of the stomach vacuum, the abdomen should be “pulled” inward as much as possible. Imagine that you want your navel to touch your spine.
In the final position you can reach (it varies from person to person depending on age, physical condition, training, etc.) you should simply hold the position for 10-30 seconds depending on your endurance. This constitutes one repetition.
You should do about 8-12 repetitions without a break to feel the transverse abdominis “working” intensely.
Once you have good technique, experience, and physical fitness, you can do the exercise sitting, kneeling, or even lying down. This means you can do the exercise even when you are “stuck” in the movement.
An additional important benefit of exercise is that during it you have the opportunity to take a few deep breaths, which will calm your autonomic nervous system and reduce anxiety and stress.
Add this simple breathing routine to your daily routine, tighten your transverse abdominis, and give a big boost to strengthening your abdominal anatomy.
And what should I do with the multi-faceted ones?
The multifidus, as we mentioned before, play an important role in stabilizing the trunk, and especially the spine.
However, due to their size and location, they are relatively difficult to locate and strengthen. The appropriate tool for strengthening the multifidus is Pressure Biofeedback.
Simply place it under the lumbar spine (below the waist) and press the special cushion (after filling it with air) as if you wanted to deflate it.
Hold the dynamometer in front of your eyes and see how much contraction you achieve.
If you encounter problems with technique or application, you can call us at 2104829303 for advice or a training session on exercises suitable for your problem.
Biofeedback has pressure biofeedback for use with its patients. Also, in group therapeutic exercise classes, stomach vacuum is taught and applied when and as needed by the specialist physiotherapist of each class.
Morochliadis Stefanos
Physiotherapist Bcs, MT, RT, Formthotics specialist
