Breathe your way to better abs

All of us are looking for a well-toned midsection-the ever-elusive six-pack. Just be sure to focus on breathing as much as you do on technique.

Researchers have found that resistance-based exercises naturally cause a small increase in blood pressure. In a recent study published in the Archive of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, researchers found that systolic and diastolic blood pressure increased significantly when participants voluntarily held their breath during a straight partial sit-up, an oblique partial sit-up, and when using the AbSculptor.

The blood-pressure increases noted were much greater than those observed when participants adopted a regular breathing pattern while performing the same three exercises. Exhaling slowly upon muscle contraction (normally the difficult part of a movement) can help to keep blood pressure from elevating past natural levels when engaging in resistance-training exercises.

So, go for the burn with those crunches-just be sure to keep breathing.