10 Best Abs Stretches to Improve Flexibility

Working out, especially strength training, is excellent for your overall health. Regular exercise makes you stronger, builds muscle, reduces injury risk, burns fat, helps maintain optimal body weight, and boosts immunity.

However, while most exercises are beneficial, some can cause muscles to tighten due to keeping them in a shortened position. Activities like floor crunches and cable crunches strengthen your muscles but can lead to adaptive shortening. This means your muscles tighten and lose some natural elasticity because of the limited range of motion.

Tight muscles can pull your joints into a flexed position, affecting your posture. They may also be more prone to injury when rapidly stretched. Tight abs can push your stomach outward, impacting your profile even if you’re lean—a look most want to avoid.

Prolonged sitting has a similar effect, as it keeps your spine flexed and abs shortened. Combine this with numerous crunches and partial-range abs exercises, and it’s challenging to maintain an upright posture!

Fortunately, stretching the abs and surrounding muscles is relatively easy. In this article, we reveal the best stretches to alleviate tightness in this often-overlooked muscle group.

Abs Anatomy

Abs is short for rectus abdominis, one of the muscles that make up your midsection. However, when most people are talking about their abs, they’re actually referring to their entire core, which is a group of muscles.

The rectus abdominis rarely works alone, and, if tight, it will have tight neighbors. Therefore, it makes sense to cover the anatomy of the entire midsection and stretch all the muscles of the core.

The main core muscles are:

Rectus Abdominis: Located on the front of your abdomen, this muscle is responsible for flexion and lateral flexion of the spine. It’s the famous six-pack muscle, visible only if you’re very lean. It runs from the lower ribs and sternum to the pelvis. Tightness here pulls you forward into a flexed position.

A tight rectus abdominis will pull you forward into a flexed position, making it look like you are sitting down even when standing.
Obliques: Positioned on either side of the rectus abdominis, the obliques handle rotation and lateral flexion of the spine. These muscles form your waist. Due to limited twisting movements in daily life, obliques often become tight.

Transverse Abdominis: Encircling your waist like a corset, the transverse abdominis maintains lumbar stability by increasing intra-abdominal pressure. While crucial for core strength, it doesn’t typically get tight or require stretching.

Erector Spinae: Running along either side of your back, these muscles extend the spine or maintain it in extension. Prolonged sitting can stretch and weaken them. While they might not need stretching to increase flexibility, gentle stretches can reduce muscle tension.

Hip Flexors: Though not abdominal muscles, the hip flexors often work with the abs and are usually tight. Tight hip flexors pull your hips into a flexed position, affecting posture. The main hip flexor muscles are the rectus femoris, iliacus, and psoas major.

Top 10 Abs Stretches

Feeling tightness in your abs? Use these exercises to reduce muscle tension and increase flexibility.

1. Modified Cobra Stretch

The modified cobra stretch is a simplified version of the yoga cobra pose. This exercise extends your spine to stretch your rectus abdominis. It’s also an excellent way to mobilize your lower back and open your chest. The more you straighten your arms, the more intense this exercise becomes, so adjust your range of motion accordingly.

How to do it:

1. Lie on your front on an exercise mat. Place your hands palms down on the floor beneath your shoulders.
2. Keeping your legs and hips on the floor, gently extend your arms and lift your upper body off the floor. Lift your chest and chin upward to really stretch your abs.
3. Push yourself up as far as you can without lifting your hips.
4. You can also rest on bent elbows if you wish to hold this position for longer.

2. Full Body Supine Stretch

This simple stretch is relaxing and extends your entire body. It’s perfect for lengthening muscles tightened by sitting. Do it on the floor or in bed.

How to do it:

1. Lie on your back with your legs straight and feet together.
2. Raise your arms above your head, so your biceps are next to your ears. Press your fingertips along the floor to extend your shoulders.
3. Simultaneously point your toes and make your body as long as possible. Arch your lower back slightly to emphasize the stretch in your abs.

3. Dead Hang Stretch

The dead hang uses gravity to decompress your spine and stretch your shoulders and abs. It’s excellent between sets of squats or overhead presses.

How to do it:

1. Find somewhere suitable to hang. You should be able to touch the bar without jumping. Use a step or a bench to ensure you can comfortably reach the bar. Also, ensure that your feet are clear of the floor once you are hanging from the bar.
2. Hold the bar with an overhand, slightly wider than shoulder-width grip.
3. With your arms straight, hang from the bar with your body straight and your feet off the floor. Do not fully relax your shoulders. Instead, keep them active by pulling them slightly down and back. Do not hold your breath.
4. Remain motionless – no swinging or twisting – for the duration of your set. When you are done, step rather than jump down as jumping will shock load your spine, negating some of the decompressing benefits of this exercise.

4. Stability Ball Abs Stretch

This stretch allows passive spinal extension to stretch your abs and decompress your spine. A stability ball provides comfortable support for longer holds.

How to do it:

1. Sit on your stability ball with your feet flat on the floor.
2. Walk your feet forward and lean backward until the ball fills the natural curve of your lower back.
3. Extend your arms overhead to gently stretch your abs.
4. You can increase the intensity of the stretch by extending your legs and draping your entire body across the ball.

5. Bent Leg Twist Stretch

The bent leg twist stretch targets your obliques, lower back, and rectus abdominis. It’s great for relieving tension from sitting.

How to do it:

1. Lie on the floor with one leg bent and one leg straight. Place your opposite hand on your bent knee. Extend your other arm out at shoulder height.
2. Using your arm for extra rotation, pull your knee across your body and down toward the floor. Try to keep your shoulders flat on the floor.
3. Hold for the required duration and then swap sides.

6. Kneeling Backward Abdominal Stretch

This stretch deeply targets your abs and hip flexors. Use a mat for comfort.

How to do it:

1. Kneel with thighs vertical and back straight.
2. Place your hands on your lower back.
3. Push hips forward and lean back, gazing upward.
4. Lift your chest to intensify the stretch.
5. For a deeper stretch, reach back to place hands on your ankles.

7. Seated Oblique Twist Stretch

This stretch works your abs, lower back, and obliques. It’s perfect for desk workers to alleviate stiffness.

How to do it:

1. Plant your feet firmly on the floor and sit up straight. Extend your neck and pull your shoulders down and back, so you’re in good posture.
2. Cross your arms over your chest.
3. Keeping your hips stationary, rotate your upper body gently to the left and to the right. Turn as far as you can without causing pain.
4. You can also do this exercise while standing.

8. Cat/Cow Stretch

The cat/cow stretch mobilizes your spine and gently stretches your abs. It’s ideal for warming up or relieving lower back stiffness.

How to do it:

1. Kneel on all fours with your shoulders directly over your hands and your hips over your knees. Lengthen your neck and look down at the floor. Your spine should be neutral, i.e., slightly arched.
2. Lower your head, tuck your hips under, and lift the center of your spine up toward the ceiling, so you look like an angry cat arching its back. Imagine there is an invisible thread pulling your back upward.
3. Next, raise your head, tilt your hips backward, and lower your abdomen down toward the floor.
4. Alternate smoothly between these two positions 8-10 times.

9. Seated Lateral Trunk Stretch

This stretch targets the rectus abdominis, obliques, and erector spinae. It’s convenient for stretching at your desk.

How to do it:

1. Sit upright with feet flat and back straight.
2. Raise one arm overhead.
3. Lean away from the raised arm side, feeling the stretch along your side.
4. Hold briefly, then switch sides.

10. Spiderman Rotational Lunge Stretch

This dynamic stretch works your abs, lower back, obliques, chest, shoulders, and hips. It’s a comprehensive stretch for the entire body.

How to do it:

1. Adopt the push-up position with your arms and legs straight, core braced.
2. Step your left foot up and outside your left hand. Bend your rear leg and rest your knee lightly on the floor or keep it straight if your flexibility allows.
3. Lift your left arm up and out toward the ceiling and rotate your upper body. Reach around as far as you can so your arms form a T-shape.
4. Return your hand to the floor and step back into the push-up position.
5. Step in with your right leg and raise your right arm.
6. Alternate smoothly between these two positions for 4-6 slow, easy reps.

Wrapping Up

Prolonged sitting and limited-range core exercises can lead to tight abs, affecting posture and spinal mobility. Fortunately, stretching your abs is straightforward. Incorporate these ten best abs stretches into your routine to alleviate tightness and improve flexibility.

Ease into each stretch and hold for 20-30 seconds. Perform 1-3 sets depending on your level of tightness. If your abs are especially tight, consider stretching multiple times throughout the day.

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