While some TikTok fitness trends require equipment, like the Taylor Swift Treadmill Strut and the “12-3-30” workout, others require no equipment — from silent walking, a trend focused on taking a walk free of distractions, to the ab dance, a fast-paced move users claim tones their core.
Another no-equipment fitness trend that has caught wind in recent years is an isometric abdominal move called the “stomach vacuum.”
The hashtag #stomachvacuum has over 100 million views on TikTok, and with a quick scroll, you’ll notice what’s at the core of the move (no pun intended) — a dramatic inhale, followed by a sucking in of the stomach that ultimately exposes the lower ribs.
A series of questions may arise when watching these videos: What exactly is the “stomach vacuum” meant to do? Does it actually work? Are there safety risks that come with it?
What is ‘stomach vaccuming’?
The “stomach vacuum” is a strengthening move that targets the front abdominal muscles, especially the transverse abdominal, through an isometric hold.
Dr. Jordan D Metzl, a Sports Medicine Physician at Hospital for Special Surgery and author of “The Workout Prescription,” calls the move “a biceps curl for your abs” and compares the exercise to a plank.
Katie Wang, personal trainer and founding instructor for Peloton Row, likens it to “doing an isometric squat hold, just for your core, like a hollow body hold. When you’re doing a hollow body hold, you’re practicing a (different version) of that ‘stomach vacuum.’”
While the stomach vacuum has begun trending on social media more recently, Wang tells TODAY that the move is nothing new to the fitness space. “They’ve been around for forever,” Wang says, explaining that most people have likely done the move during a workout without even realizing it.
“I promise you, your yoga instructors have talked about it, your Pilates instructors have talked about it … any time we’re saying, ‘belly button to the spine,’…
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