Forget the usual hassles of crunching figures and work on those abs!

1. Lie on your back on the floor with your knees bent and feet firmly on the ground. For added abdominal emphasis and reduced lower-back strain, place your legs on top of a bed or sofa. Place both hands as far down your upper back as possible, so that your head is resting on your forearms. Visualise gravity pulling your belly button to the floor, flattening your lower back.

2. Focus on your abs as you relax your back, neck, shoulders and arms and gaze at the ceiling. Exhale as you crunch up, starting the contraction at your lower tummy and curling one vertebra at a time until you reach your shoulders. Lift from your shoulders, making sure not to use your hands or arms to yank your head of the ground. Once you can curl up no higher, slowly lower your body. Go directly into your next repetition before your shoulders reach the floor to keep a constant contraction in your abs.

3. Repeat 10 to 15 times.