Abdominal training is a popular part of fitness programs today. Some want a flat stomach or slim waist. Others want to enhance their sports performance or prevent back injury.

It's true that one of the most important functions of the abdominal muscles is to stabilize the spine. Regular sit-ups put too much stress on the low back and don't really strengthen the abdominals. The safest and most effective abdominal exercises are called the Sahrmann Abdominal Exercises.

Dr. Sahrmann is a physical therapist and researcher who agrees that doing the kind of exercises you mentioned is a safe and easy way to strengthen the stomach muscles. Pulling your navel towards your spine or pulling your tummy in and up while sitting at a desk or computer or even in your car can improve muscle tone and function.

Concentrate on contracting the muscles below the belly button. Keep breathing and don't hold the muscles in all the time. The idea is to contract, hold, and relax then repeat. To improve muscle function, you can increase the amount of time you hold the muscles and the number of times you perform the contractions.