You spend hours doing abdominals and you don't see the results you wanted? Then maybe you're not adopting a better strategy. A gastroenterologist reveals the best type of abdominals to avoid discomfort during physical exercise and makes a revelation.
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26/08/2026
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Forget the famous localized fat. Sports doctors and experts reveal to Very Well Health that if your goal is to lose weight and the famous “fat in the belly”, it is no use doing abdominals if you do not meet other requirements.
According to these experts, if you are not in caloric deficit, “no miracles”, no results.
However, if you already have a low percentage of fat around your belly, i.e visceral fat it's not too high, and your goal is to tonify the abdominal muscle, there's something you need to know.
However, it does not mean that those with a few extra pounds should abstain from this exercise, quite the contrary, simply need to supplement it with other care regarding food.
Aside from abdominal toning, a gastroenterologist identifies other benefits of this sport that she can even easily do at home.
What happens to the body when you do abs?
The digestive system thanks you!
Susan Kais, a gastroenterologist and hepatologist, says that “a few minutes of standing abdominal exercises and a quick walk of 15 minutes a day to promote gastrointestinal motility”, which according to the specialist can also be translated into a “more efficient digestion, more regular evacuations and lower likelihood of constipation“.
Abdominals sitting or standing? The expert reveals the best
For this expert, the preferred method is obvious. Defines standing exercises as smoother and more progressive and therefore with a lower probability of causing injury or bad disposition, as “they are softer for the stomach”, he explains.
“Exercise is a form of stress for the body and, although stress moderation is beneficial, excessive amounts can have a negative effect, including on digestion.” From the perspective of this expert, high-intensity training can cause gastrointestinal symptoms, including nausea, diarrhea, vomiting and even intestinal bleeding.
Here are some exercise suggestions prescribed by this expert
If you want to tonify the abdominal and let the intestine work you can opt for these simple exercises as soon as you wake up. Besides, you won't need any equipment, so from now on there's no excuse!
“ Stretches above the head and inclinations from side to side.” This exercise involves standing with your feet firmly on the ground and activating the abdominal as you contract your muscles while extending your arms above your head.
A “rotation of the standing trunk”, in turn, it is the exercise that helps to “increase circulation and promote gastric motility”, reinforces. For this exercise, keep your feet also firmly positioned on the ground. Raise your arms to the sides so that they are parallel to the ground and bend your elbows so that your hands are on the midline of the body at chest height. Then you just need to slowly rotate the top of the body.

