Summer Fitness: Your Guide to Staying Active in the Heat

Learn how lying on your stomach impacts your ligaments and discover exercises to strengthen abdominal muscles, improve flexibility, and minimize injury risk.

Ever wonder how lying on your stomach can affect your body’s ligaments?

Ligaments and Lying on Your Stomach

There are several positions for lying on your stomach that you might be familiar with. Let’s explore how these positions impact your body’s ligaments, as highlighted by Vitalo360:

• Exercises to Strengthen Abdominal Muscles

You can benefit from this exercise by:

1. Lying on your stomach with your forehead down, keep your feet together. Then, lift both legs to a 90-degree angle.
2. Stand with your feet slightly apart, hands behind your head, and eyes looking up at the ceiling. Bend your back until you feel your abdominal muscles stretch. Return to the starting position slowly.
3. Lie on your stomach, supporting your upper body on your forearms. Pull your stomach in as much as possible and lift both legs. Keep your knees slightly bent. Repeat this exercise 15-20 times, resting for 40 seconds between sets.

• Abdominal Stretching Exercises

This exercise, like other stomach exercises, can help with:

1. Lying on your stomach with your feet apart at a 90-degree angle.
2. Lift your chest while facing your right leg, keeping your left leg straight. As you switch sides, try to alternate directions during this exercise.
3. Make sure that your shoulders and elbows are aligned during the exercise. As you contract your abdominal muscles during the exercise, exhale.
4. Repeat this exercise 30 times, alternating between 15 repetitions on each side, and rest for 40 seconds between each set of exercises.

• Shoulder Exercises

This exercise can be applied by following these steps:

1. Stand in a comfortable position with your feet on the floor, your shoulders relaxed, and your back upright.
2. Hold light weights or water bottles, each weighing 1.5 liters, and lift them to shoulder height while keeping your arms straight.
3. Maintain a steady posture, pull your stomach in, and push your shoulders back.
4. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and lift your arms directly to the side.
5. Exhale as you lift your arms, and rest as you lower them.
6. Repeat this exercise 10 to 12 times.
7. Take a 40-second break between each exercise or set of exercises.

• Advanced Exercises and Flexibilities

Daily movements can help strengthen your muscles, such as shoulder movement, leg stretches, and even walking. These activities can feel empowering while preventing potential muscle injuries. In addition to these activities, here are some exercises you can do at home:

1. Stand on the training mat (carpet) with your back straight, engage your abdominal muscles, and gently bend forward, lifting your head. Try lifting your leg to a 90-degree angle.
2. While standing on the carpet, stretch out both your legs while your feet are on the ground.
3. Place your feet on a step or chair to increase the exercise’s intensity. Do 10 slow bends and another 10 fast ones. Take a 30-second break and repeat this exercise.
4. Stand firm while spreading your legs. Raise your right leg for better balance. You can also do the exercise while standing.
5. Position yourself in the same way while moving your legs outward, and hold the position for a few moments.
6. Stand with your legs apart. Bring your right hand to your left foot while keeping your feet firmly planted. Then repeat with other hand.

Importance of Ligaments in Stomach Exercises

The importance of ligaments in the stomach exercises can be summarized by:

• Maintaining proper posture.
• Reducing weight.
• Minimizing the risk of obesity.
• Preventing certain chronic diseases, such as heart disease, diabetes, and more.