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Abdominal hypopressives: what they are and how to perform them

Abdominal hypopressives: what they are and how to perform them

March 29, 2024

Today many people go to the gym or play sports at home or outdoors in order to exercise, maintain their physical and mental health, generate endorphins and maintain and improve their figure. There is a large amount of possible exercises to perform, both aerobic and anaerobic.

One of the most commonly worked areas is the abdomen, a part of the body that is usually acted on through abdominal exercises. However, in recent years a different way of doing this type of exercises has been popularized: the one that consists of doing abdominal hypopressive . Next we will see what they are and what their benefits are.


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Abdomen and abs

The abdomen is the part of the body located in the lower half of the trunk, located between the torso (which is separated internally by the diaphragm) and the pelvis. Inside, most of the organs linked to the digestive system and part of the genitourinary are housed.

In regards to the musculature, we can find a series of muscles that provide mobility to the area at the same time that they protect the internal organs and help their correct functioning. These muscles are arranged laterally, posteriorly and anteriorly, and can be classified as transverse, oblique, pyramidal and rectilinear.


The operation of said musculature is of great importance, and when they are trained they allow a better posture and capacity of movement and operation of different parts of the body. Thus, training them can be a great advantage, and for this it is very useful to carry out tension and distension exercises , which traditionally has been done by performing abdominals, which normally require their tension through constant and repetitive movements.

However, hypopressive abdominals are not based on the realization of movements but on their tension and distension in a more passive way.

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The hypopressive abdominals: general functioning

The hypopressive abdominals they are a type of exercise dedicated to the work of the well-known abdominal girdle from the tension and distension of the deepest musculature.


While control of breathing it is fundamental in most activities and physical exercises, in the hypopressive abdominals it acquires an even greater significance due to the fact that most of them are exercises performed during moments of respiratory apnea.

It is about achieving a negative pressure in our abdomen and part of the pelvis, so that the reflex reaction of the inner muscles occurs. The oblique and transverse muscles are specially worked .

How is this exercise done?

To perform them, the control of posture and breathing is combined. Basically apnea or cessation of breathing is caused after stretching the diaphragm in a position that favors the self-stretch and opening the rib cage while inhaling to try to keep it open when exhaling.

After exhaling and before inhaling, the apnea is performed (that is, it is a few seconds without breathing), observing a kind of suction in the abdomen. In short, it is to expel all the air and then hold your breath while expanding the chest and shrinks the gut, to maintain tension and finally stop tightening and re-inspiring. It is recommended to do several series regularly to observe results (approximately twenty minutes a day).

This type of exercises were elaborated from the observation of the possible difficulties or negative consequences of the performance of traditional abdominals. However, it is necessary to have some control when doing them since they can generate some mechanical problems if they are done badly and uncontrollably.

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Benefits and contraindications

The hypopressive abdominal supposes a series of benefits with respect to its traditional counterpart. On the one hand, it helps to reduce the contour and perimeter when working especially the transverse and oblique musculature.

The hypopressive abdominals also they have proven useful for pelvic area work , which can be a help in order to prevent incontinence problems and even to strengthen the muscles after delivery. This strengthening can also help reduce the effects of various types of sexual dysfunctions.

Another advantage is that in general the spine is not forced , which usually do not cause discomfort or back pain and, at the same time, possible major injuries are avoided.

But nevertheless, this exercise can be dangerous for some people . Specifically, people with hypertension should refrain from doing this type of exercise, based on the use of apnea. It is also contraindicated for pregnant women, although some programs dedicated to this type of population are beginning to be carried out.

People with anxiety and / or respiratory and cardiac problems may also have difficulty carrying them out, also being contraindicated or requiring modifications and adaptations.

Some hypopressive exercises

Below you can find three hypopressive exercises that can help strengthen your abs.

1. Hypopressive abdominals standing

To perform this exercise we must be upright, with parallel feet and try to separate the shoulders while we stretch as much as possible the column up. The arms can be placed in the shape of a jug or by aligning elbows with hands and shoulders in a circle, forward.

Once in this position we inhale opening the ribs and try keep that opening while we exhale . Once the air is expelled, we perform apnea with open ribs and hold for a few seconds. Afterwards we let go and take another breath doing several normal inspirations before doing the exercise again.

Another variant is performed flexed, supporting the hands on the legs but also lengthening the column as much as possible.

2. Sitting hypopressed abdominals

As in the previous case, the column is stretched as much as possible, although he stays seated with his legs flexed . The posture is similar to that used in numerous yoga and meditation exercises. The arms can be placed in the same way as the previous one, and the same breathing routine is performed.

3. Abdominals in the background (iron)

This exercise is done by supporting the forearms and the tips of the feet on the floor, keeping the rest of the body in suspension and maintaining the tension of the abdomen. The position is similar to what is done when doing push-ups . In addition to the obliques and the transverse, the rectus muscle is also worked.


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