Working out your abdominal muscles not only contributes to a sculpted stomach, but also improves your balance and relieves back pain. So, stop skipping your ab
workout and introduce these 5 simple yet rewarding ab exercises to your fitness regime. What’s more? They are recommended by fitness expert Yasmin Karachiwala, who has trained many Bollywood’s A-listers -including Deepika Padukone, Nora Fatehi, Alia Bhatt, Bipasha Basu and Katrina Kaif!

Ergo, we obviously took notes when the fitness guru posted a new workout routine on her Instagram account.

The beauty of this simple ab circuit is that it can be done anywhere, anytime. The only prerequisites you need are an exercise mat and some enthusiasm. Don’t believe us? See for yourself.

5 ab exercises by Yasmin Karachiwala

1. Sit up to twist

The exercise starts by lying down on the mat with your arms placed above your head. Now, you sit up and twist by bringing your left elbow and right knee together. During the next repetition, twist the other way, employing the alternate elbow and knee. Engage your abdominal muscles during each sit up because muscle toning is a ‘quality over quantity’ process. Still, do at least 15 repetitions each side!

Before we move on to the next ab exercise, here’s some  scientific ‘gyaan’ for you. A 2016 study report indicates that women who were able to do sit ups were
less likely to undergo age-related muscle loss.

2. Supine kick ups

Did you know that supine means ‘lying face upwards’? That’s the position you need to lie down in for this ab exercise. These kick ups will not only work as one of the most effective ab exercises, they will also engage your lower back muscles and hamstrings. Remember to keep your palms on the ground and butt off the ground when you kick up. After the kick up, bend your knees, keeping your calves parallel to the ground and rest your tush on the mat.

Do this one 20 times!

Check out how to do these ab exercises in this video by Yasmin Karachiwala!

3. Side plank twist

When you hear the words ‘ab workout’, a plank is probably the first exercise to come to your mind. And rightly so. Planks can tighten your core muscles like few other moves can. In this plank variation, Karachiwala starts off by placing one forearm and one foot on the mat. Stack your other foot over the one that is on the ground. In this way, you will distribute your body weight between your forearm and foot. While doing the last step, make sure your other arm is straightened out at your side-perpendicular to the torso. Now twist your torso and curl your arm inward, as if you are hugging the air around you.

Doing the side plank twist at least 15 times on each side will help you tone your abs.

4. Seated leg over bottle

For this ab exercise, your palms should be flat on the ground and feet joined together. The aim of the exercise is engaging your core muscles to lift your legs sideways- making a semicircle with your feet. You can keep a bottle in front of you to serve as the center of the arc.

This one needs 15 repetitions on each side.

5. All 4’s Hover Twist

Start with your palms and toes on the ground. Keep your knees bent, but don’t let them rest on the ground. You want them to ‘hover’ above the mat. Now twist, straightening one leg- say right leg- under the other. Simultaneously, fold the opposite arm- so your left arm-to the side and make sure your elbow is perpendicular to the torso. Be sure to do it slowly so as to maintain your balance.

Give this one at least 10 repetitions on each side.

How to do this ab workout?

According to Karachiwala, doing 4 rounds of these 5 exercises, with a 60-second rest session after each round, but no rest between exercises, can be perfect! Do these ab exercises at home regularly and see the magic it can do to make your belly fat go flat! Of course, don’t forget to eat healthy and right!