Fitness: Abdominal Exercises You Can Perform While Sitting

Dick Moss, Editor

Seated Ab Exercise A

Here are two abdominal exercises your students can perform while seated at their desk. They're great for a quick fitness break, and the exercises are wonderful additions to their lifetime fitness repertoire—for those days in the future when they may actually be sitting at a desk for eight hours a day in order to make a living.

Desk-Bound Exercises

1. While sitting in a chair, have your students cross their arms then lift one leg and touch the opposite elbow to that knee as they are lifting it (See “A”). Repeat with the other knee and elbow and continue for at least 10 repetitions. For additional resistance, instruct them to hold their hands behind their head.

Seated Ab Exercise B

2. Students move forward and grab the sides of the chair with their hands. They then lift both feet off the ground, performing at least 10 repetitions (See “B”).

For progression, they can lift the feet, then pull the knees in towards the chest in a crunching motion.

Reference: Peter Nielsen, “Peter's Principles.” WDIV Detroit (NBC), Weekend Today, March 28, 2004