Abdominal exercise

This is useful for improving performance with certain sports, back pain, and for withstanding abdominal impacts (e.g., taking punches).

[2] Early results from a 2006 study found that walking exercise (not abdominal exercise specifically) reduced the size of subcutaneous abdominal fat cells; cell size predicts type 2 diabetes according to a lead author.

[3] Abdominal muscles have many important functions, including breathing, coughing, and sneezing, and maintaining posture and speech in a number of species.

"The two internal muscles, the internal oblique, and the transverse abdominis, respond more to increases in chemical or volume-related drive than the two external muscles, the rectus abdominis and external oblique; the basis for this differential sensitivity is unknown".

The goal of core training is definitely not to develop muscle hypertrophy but to improve functional predispositions of physical activity.

[8] The involvement of the core means more than just compressing abdominal muscles when in crouching or seated position.

It activates the four abdominal muscles because it flexes the spine while laying down with their feet on the ground while raising their upper body up and then back down.

Another effective exercise is an abdominal plank because it is used when strengthening their trunk and their inner and outer oblique of their core.

[14] With respect to the Ab-Slide, the study performed by Bird et al. showed greater muscle activation in the upper rectus abdominis, lower rectus abdominis, and external oblique when compared to the standard abdominal crunch.

However, this research does not support replacing the traditional crunch exercise with the Ab-Slide gadget due to the lack of proven effectiveness in the eccentric loading of the abdominal muscles and the greater postural control.

Examples include the CoreFitnessRoller, bodyweight suspension training such as TRX, and stability balls with or without the Halo.