Muscle load
The fold intensively works all the abdominal muscles, especially the rectus abdominis (its lower and upper parts). Thus, this one exercise replaces classic crunches, which load the upper abs, and lying leg raises (or reverse crunches), which emphasize the load on the lower abdominal muscles.
The exercise also uses the oblique abdominal muscles - they always work in conjunction with the rectus abdominis. However, the load on the oblique muscles in this exercise will not be as significant as, say, in oblique or lateral crunches.
The hip flexors and quadriceps (quadriceps) work in an additive manner.
Incline crunches
This exercise pumps up the abdominal muscles well, but in addition, the rectus femoris muscles also lend themselves to stress.
Execution order:
- We adjust the inclination of the bench so that the angle is from 30 to 50 degrees. The load level will depend on this.
- We sit on the exercise machine, secure our legs under the bolsters, and fold our arms across our chests.
- We lie down on the bench, lowering ourselves back.
- We take a deep breath, tense our abs and begin to lift our torso. The head and shoulders rise first, and then the torso.
- When the angle between the hips and the torso is 90 degrees, we stop the lift. This will be the highest point.
- We pause for a second and tense our abdominal muscles.
- Slowly lower your torso until it is parallel to the floor. This will be the lowest point.
You should not completely lower yourself onto the bench until the end of the set. It is necessary that the abdominal muscles are in constant tension.
If the goal is weight loss
If you want to not only work out your muscles, but also lose weight, be sure to add several hours of aerobics per week to your strength training. This way, you will achieve impressive results faster. Your waist will decrease in volume, and your stomach will noticeably tighten.
In addition to physical activity, weight loss requires adherence to the principles of proper nutrition. This doesn't mean you need to go on a strict diet. Eat a varied diet, choose minimally processed foods, and control the amount of calories you put into your body. To lose weight, you need to consume a little less than you expend.
In the future, to maintain the results achieved, you will need to train several times a week, and consider proper nutrition not as a temporary measure, but as your way of life.
In culture
Spending nights on the floor rather than in bed is typical for households in the Land of the Rising Sun. Many residents of developed Western countries also believe that such a habit, if it does not improve health, then significantly increases overall vitality and prevents back pain. Even in classical literature and cinema, if you wish, you can find examples of this habit. The Count of Monte Cristo, for example, did not at all wonder whether sleeping on a hard floor was beneficial: he simply got used to such rest during the time he spent in prison.
The interested reader is given the opportunity to make his own decision on this controversial issue.
Fold technique
An exercise such as a fold can be performed lying on the floor (for this you will need a soft gymnastic mat) or on a horizontal bench. We will consider the first option as the main one, and the second as a variation.
On the floor
The technique for making a fold on the floor is as follows:
- Lie on your back, straighten your legs, stretch your arms straight behind your head. Now you have a sag in your lower back. It should be minimized by pressing your lower back to the floor. To do this, you can slightly bend your knees. This is the starting position. The press is already working statically, but we will load it in full.
- As you exhale, simultaneously lift your legs up and twist your body, trying to reach your feet with your palms.
- Stay at the point of maximum tension for several seconds. As you inhale, gently, without jerking, lower yourself to the starting position. Do not lower your arms and legs completely to the floor, keep your back rounded and your abs tense.
- Repeat the exercise the required number of times.
Technique for performing the exercise.
As a rule, abdominal exercises are performed in a multi-repetition mode. However, it all depends on your individual goals and physical fitness. On average, you can aim to perform 15-20 repetitions in 2-3 sets.
The difficulty of the fold in comparison with double twists is that straight arms and legs are much harder to lift than bent ones.
The key point of safety in this exercise is the absence of arching in the lower back and constantly tense abs. You should also aim to have your body weight resting on your upper buttocks rather than on your spine at the top of the movement.
On the bench
Let's also consider a variation of the fold on a horizontal bench. This exercise is somewhat simpler, since initially you are in a bent position (the range of motion is smaller) and bend your knees when lifting.
The technique is as follows:
- Sit on the edge of a bench and grab it with your hands. Lean your torso back 45 degrees and raise your legs until they are parallel to the floor. Round the lumbar region.
- Inhale and pull your knees towards your chest, bending into a fold. The torso should move as close to the legs as possible. Feel the maximum contraction of your abdominal muscles.
- As you exhale, return to the starting position. You should not put your feet on the floor. They should always remain in the starting position, that is, at the same level as the bench.
- Repeat as many times as required. Take a break and do a few more approaches.
When the fold becomes an easy task for you, try to complicate it by using weights. To do this, put weights on your feet or pick up a barbell plate.
How to get used to it
“I can’t sleep on my back, it’s uncomfortable,” this can often be heard from those who like to curl up, lie on their sides or on their stomachs. As they say, it is inconvenient to sleep only on the ceiling. And you can get used to all other poses. Let's look at how to speed up the addiction process.
Mattress
First of all, you should lie down in the place where you will accustom yourself to a new position. Check if there are any bulges or depressions there. Unevenness in the mattress and roughness in the bed will inevitably cause discomfort. And you, of course, will want to roll over somewhere as soon as possible. Moreover, you will do this involuntarily.
To learn to sleep face up, it is advisable to take care of creating a soft and comfortable sleeping place.
Pillow
When you lie comfortably, your muscles are completely relaxed, you will not have the desire to change the position of your body, even in your sleep. To ensure such a night idyll, you will need to acquire a high-quality orthopedic pillow. There should be a dimple in it designed to properly position the head. This sleeping accessory is specifically designed for sleeping lying on your back. This means that you won’t need to customize it further.
Perseverance
If you've been sleeping curled up or on your side for years, lying on your back can be downright uncomfortable. But that doesn't mean it's not right for you. Show maximum persistence and under no circumstances give up what you started.
To make the addiction process easier, enlist the support of your husband (wife). Agree to change positions together. This way you can prove to each other that you can easily keep your promises to yourself.
Relaxation
Thinking in bed about everyday problems, thinking about something leads to the fact that you can’t relax on your back. You need to throw away all the thoughts that bother you, leave the problems in the end of the day and think about something pleasant.
For example, you can remember your cherished dreams, holidays ahead or vacation. Many people find it helpful to turn off access to the Internet, turn off the TV, and read a book. “I sleep in a good mood,” this affirmation should become the basic rule for going to bed.
Lead-up exercises
Beginners do not always manage to immediately perform the fold correctly. If you feel discomfort in the lower back or extreme fatigue after the first repetitions, you should prepare your muscles with the help of building exercises:
- Lie on the floor and stretch your legs straight up. Exhale and twist forward, trying to touch your palms to your feet.
- Do the fold not with both legs at once, but with each leg in turn.
- Raise your legs with your knees bent. This will make the movement much easier.
Perform conditioning exercises for at least two weeks. Your muscles will become stronger and your body will become more flexible, which will eventually allow you to do a standard exercise.
A simplified version of the fold.
An exercise such as the fold allows you to effectively load all the abdominal muscles. The results will become noticeable after a few months of training. For best results, combine it with other abdominal exercises. These could be, for example, double crunches, oblique crunches, and lying leg raises. If you want to reduce your waist size, be sure to combine folding and twisting with proper nutrition and aerobic exercise.
Advantages and disadvantages
Not everyone thinks about what happens if you sleep on the floor. But sometimes it would be worth it.
It has been proven that the invention of mattresses, newfangled beds and soft sofas lead to problems. The vertebrae gradually weaken.
Lying on a soft surface, the spine takes not a correct, but a forced position. You can even feel relaxed and not notice the load your back is taking on.
Effect on the spine
The spinal muscles, which are not deformed due to the bed, take the desired position. In the morning, instead of pain, you can feel a surge of strength and relaxation in the lumbar region.
During dreams, the spine straightens, the neck and back will no longer cause aching pain. This is important for those who are faced with the problems of osteochondrosis and scoliosis.
Special attention should be paid to the cervical vertebrae. They need support. With the correct positioning of the body, the function of the blood vessels that pass through the neck is activated.
Pain in the cervical region disappears, crunching disappears. The nerve endings in the spine are not pinched. Control over the functioning of internal organs and the body as a whole is maintained.
Sleeping positions on the road
Sitting in a chair, many of us will not be able to fall asleep under any circumstances. This is not the most comfortable position for sleeping, it is not physiological, there is no opportunity to lie down and stretch out. However, even while sitting, you can try to find a comfortable position for sleep, albeit short.
Here are some options:
- It is best to purchase a special pillow under your head from an orthopedic salon for sleeping while sitting. This device will allow you to comfortably lean back on any seat. The head and neck will not experience tension, pain, or stiffness. It’s even better to sit in the corner between the window and the chair, if possible.
- Sometimes you can rest your head on a large hard bag located on your lap, after folding your hands on it. Remember how you slept on desks at school! You can rest quite well in this position.
- If the back of your seat on an airplane or bus reclines, then you can say that you are lucky. The result is a position on your back with a raised headrest, and this is a very correct and comfortable sleeping position.
If possible, the back of the chair should be reclined
- Are there 1-2 chairs available next to you? Remove the armrests and sit on the chairs on your side with your knees bent in the fetal position.
Sleep in cardiovascular diseases
Almost any heart disease is a contraindication to resting on your stomach. In this position, the vessels are compressed, the outflow of venous blood from the organs worsens, the large arterial trunks of the abdominal cavity are compressed, the load on the myocardium increases, and arrhythmias occur more often. The most optimal position is to sleep on your back with your head raised, sometimes on your side. The patient himself chooses the correct and comfortable position for himself during night sleep.
Each sleeping position has its pros and cons
In addition to all the listed sleeping positions, there are many more types of night rest: sleeping with your hands behind your head, with your legs crossed, frog pose, heron pose, and so on. The position in a dream is chosen by us unconsciously, based on temperament, environmental conditions, comfort of the bed, illness, emotional state and well-being at the moment. You should not try to lie down “on the advice of the Internet or a friend”; the body itself will suggest a convenient and comfortable position during sleep, necessary for complete restoration of strength and energy.
