To do stomach vacuums effectively, follow these steps:
- Choose your position : You can do stomach vacuums lying down (supine), standing, kneeling (quadruped), sitting, or lying face down (prone). Beginners often start lying on their back as gravity helps
- Start with proper posture :
- If standing, keep your back straight and hands on hips.
- If on all fours, keep your spine neutral and head aligned.
- If lying down, keep knees bent and feet flat
- Breathing and contraction :
- Take a deep breath in through your nose over 3–5 seconds.
- Exhale fully through your mouth with lips pursed, as if slowly releasing air from a tire.
- While exhaling, pull your belly button inward and upward toward your spine, engaging the transverse abdominis (deep core muscle) — do not just "suck in" your stomach quickly
- Hold the contraction :
- Maintain the abdominal contraction while continuing to breathe normally (do not hold your breath).
- Hold for 10–30 seconds depending on your ability, starting with shorter holds if new to the exercise
- Repeat :
- Relax your stomach and breathe normally.
- Repeat 3–5 times per session, 3–4 times a week for best results
Additional tips :
- Use your hands or fingers placed on your lower abs to feel the muscle contraction.
- Avoid hunching or arching your back to target the correct muscles.
- Focus on engaging your pelvic floor muscles along with your abs for better core strength
This exercise helps strengthen deep core muscles, improve posture, flatten the belly, and enhance mind-muscle connection
. In summary, stomach vacuums involve fully exhaling, then drawing your belly button inward toward your spine while maintaining normal breathing and good posture, holding the contraction for several seconds, and repeating regularly
