Stomach Vacuum
What used to be a technique used by primarily body builders is now used more and more by everyone!
What is this stomach vacuuming trend?
Have you heard of the term: stomach vacuuming? When I first heard of it, I was picturing a vacuum of some type being rolled over your stomach until its smooth. What it really is? It is a technique body builders, yoga pros, athletes, and anyone who focuses on shredding their abbs use apparently. As far as my knowledge about body building, I remembered as a kid when I watched an 80's documentary called Pumping Iron, which starred the future California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and the OG hulk himself, Lou Ferrigno. That is about as much as I knew about body building. So, I became interested to learn more about this stomach vacuum exercise said to be helping so many people achieve a reduction in their waistline so I decided to do a little more digging to better understand.
Here is what I learned:
A stomach vacuum is an isometric contraction (tensing the muscle without moving) of the transverse abdominis (aka the inner abs). Engaging a strong transverse can create a stronger Valsalva maneuver (the powerful exhale necessary to contract a muscle during an intense workout). This has been called one of the best exercises you can do to help shrink your waistline in a noticeably short amount of time. Implementing this move, people have been able to knock 2 to 4 inches off their midsection in as little as 3-weeks! Building this area of the abdominal muscle helps you gain the control needed for your core muscles and this exercise also improves weightlifting impact.
To be able to hold this move it takes practice, practice, and more practice to get it down like the pros do, so I wanted to see if I could see any results by just attempting this move in a 30-day timeframe.
As a woman who in my lifetime has: went through the “freshman fifteen” and if I am being honest…it was so much more than that, having two kids, and now my body experiencing changes once again- premenopausal, there is a lot of weight fluctuation that my body has been through during the course of my life. I was hopeful that I would be able to see results physically or at the very least feel an increase in core strength by engaging in the stomach vacuum move everyday for the 30-day test period.
A warning/tip: Many women these days like to use a waist trainer to aid them during or after this exercise or just by itself to help shrink/shape their waste line. My tip to you is not to tighten it too much. It has been said by many doctors that when you do that, you are squeezing your internal organs. If you chose to use a waste trainer, lightly use this tactic to support your mission for a smaller waistline.
How I started with my stomach vacuum:
It was easier for me, at first, to do this laying down. I started off by doing deep breathing and then let all the air out and contract my stomach for 20 seconds. Then I let out the air and did this approximately 5 times. Once it felt like this regiment was getting easier, I was able to do this move standing up. Additionally, while I was doing this, I would also massage my stomach.
Results after 30-days:
After the 30 days, I DID notice a difference in the tightness of my stomach. I especially noticed a difference in my lower abdominal muscles, which is a popular troubled area for us women. I will continue to use this technique and recommend to anyone looking for a low intensity exercise.
Results Update after 45-days:
After continuing to do this technique I want to really spread to word about the results I have achieved because they are becoming more evident! My lower belly waistline has indeed significantly shrunk and my abdominals have tightened.
