They burn some serious calories and are perfect for your core workout routine.
Here's how to do it: Lay down on a mat with your arms at your side and your legs slightly bent in a butterfly position. Bend your elbows, and press your hands into on the floor beside your head. Now, curl your hands upward, and as you curl upward, push back down against your hands and lift your shoulders off of the floor to complete this exercise. If you find it difficult to get your torso off of the mattress, simply raise your head and knees first.
It takes a small amount of practice to perfect the technique. Do not curl or lift your upper back or ribcage in this exercise. If you lift your body off of the mattress, you will develop a great deal of forward curvature, which will make you more susceptible to back injury. Perform this exercise regularly to keep your core strong and your workout routine more functional. It is absolutely crucial to have a strong core in order to protect your back and maintain proper trunk rotation, and having a strong core promotes proper posture as well as functional movement patterns throughout your entire body.
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CURL UP AND SIT UP
A variation of the crunch, the curl-up is performed in place of crunches or sit-ups. While some people believe that abdominal crunches are the best way to work your abdominal muscle, it makes sense to use a variation that works a different muscle group and also toning to your core. Perform the curl-up in a similar fashion to the sit-up, but use a mat with your arms at your sides in a butterfly position. As you raise your body up off of the ground, bend your elbows and then curl your hands inward.
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After you begin the curl, place your hands at your sides and slowly return to the starting position, just like in a sit-up. To make this exercise even more effective, shift from a kneeling rather than butterfly position. Kneeling is easier on your lower back, and it keeps your legs involved and helps you to stabilize yourself in the event that you lift off of the surface. It also prevents your entire body from flattening up while you perform the movement.