Select only two or three to do each exercise session, totalling 10 minutes per session, preferably alternating your choices from day to day. It's a good idea to combine easier ones with the more difficult ones each time.

This exercise was named for "Scarlett O'Hara", a character in the novel "Gone With The Wind". She was played by Vivien Leigh in the film version of the story and was a beautiful woman with a tiny wasp-waist. 
(No Graphics will show the work being done in this one exercise because it is all internal. The rest of the exercises contain helpful graphics.)

PREPARATION:
1. Lie down on the floor on your back; allow your back to assume its natural curve and do not try
to flatten it to the floor during this exercise.

2. Extend your legs forward, rest them on the floor and relax them. Keep them relaxed.

3. Place your right hand behind your head, your left hand on your lower abs (to be sure the abs
do not "pop up" when you do the actual exercise.
 

EXECUTION:

1. Inhale deeply.

2. Exhale half the air, then lift your shoulders only halfway off the floor, chin lifted, and hold.
Hold your breath if possible, although you may breathe shallowly if necessary.

3. Now (here is the important part) contract your waistline in toward the midline of your torso,
feeling the contraction longitudinally all the way from the lowest rib to your pubic bone and
laterally from hip bone to hip bone.

4. Hold the contraction tightly for a full 20 seconds if possible, then release and relax.

5. Repeat 4 more times or more, if you are so inclined.

NOTE: People with high blood pressure will not want to build up intra-thoracic pressure by
holding the breath, so they should take tiny, shallow breaths instead of holding their breath.

NOTE #2:  Remember that this contraction is mostly lateral, not mostly longitudinal; it goes from
the sides of your waist inward, like someone lacing up a tight corset. Be sure to feel the
contraction lower in the abdomen, not just at the waistline, and note that the nature of this
contraction is progressive; it increases as you tighten up the waistline. You should feel a decided
contraction low in the abdomen along with the waistline contraction. Work hard at it.

  

PREPARATION:

1. Lie down on your back on the floor.

2.  Bring your legs up off the floor, bent at a 90-degree angle.

3. Place your arms down at your sides, straight, palms-down, about 4" above the floor.

4. Place your lower back tightly to the floor.

EXECUTION:

1. Inhale deeply.

2. Exhale and raise the shoulders halfway up off the floor, chin tucked in and hold.  Breathe
slowly.

3. In this position, contract the transverse abs again as in the Scarlett O'Hara, pulling the navel
down toward the spine.

4. Now begin "fluttering" your arms up and down in about a 4" range of motion, full-arm
movement, not just the wrists. The hands shouldn't come off the floor more than 4" or so.

5. Hold this position while "fluttering" - to fatigue, breathing in 4 counts, out 4 counts.

6. Repeat once again to fatigue.
NOTE: If you think that the "fluttering" is useless, try it without it and you will instantly notice
the difference.

 

  

PREPARATION:

1. Lie down on your side. Bring knees up into a fetal position.

2. Place hands behind your head, elbows flared out. Keep elbows out during the execution.

3. Turn your upper body toward your top hip.
EXECUTION:

1. Inhale deeply.

2. Exhale half the air and lift bottom shoulder off floor and hold. Hold your breath.
3. Lifting your bottom shoulder toward the top hip, in this position once again contract the
transverse abs as in the Scarlett O'Hara, bending ever-so-slightly forward and hold the position for
10 seconds.

5. Repeat on the other side.

  

PREPARATION:

1. Lie on your stomach, arms extended forward like Superman flying (beginners place your arms
at your sides. Intermediate, place arms out like airplane wings)

2. Separate your feet by about 8-10" and keep your toes on the floor during execution.

EXECUTION:

1. Inhale deeply.

2. Exhaling, squeeze your gluteals (buttocks) and raise your upper torso along with your arms
and head.

4. Repeat 5 more times.

NOTE: During the execution of this move, you will notice that your abdomen wants to pop
outward into the floor. You will resist this temptation and pull your abs back in, doing the
Scarlett O'Hara contraction of the transverse abdominals while doing these back extensor
strengtheners.

COMMENTS:  This last exercise is mostly for torso and back stabilization, as it is unwise to work
only the abs without working the back extensors which the Superman Sling will do.

  

PREPARATION:

1. Lie on your back and bring your knees up to your chest.

2. Place straightened arms overhead resting on the floor.

3. Flatten your back to the floor very firmly and don't allow it to rise up. This is preparation.

1. In slow-motion extend your left leg toward the floor, straightening it while at the same time
bringing your left arm so that it follows the left leg.
2. When both the left leg and left arm are extended fully, toes and fingers as close to the floor as
possible (and your back still FLATTENED), just hold the position, breathing shallowly if
necessary, for about 10 seconds. Then begin to exchange sides, bringing the left leg back into
preparation position and the same with the left arm.
Do the same thing on the right side with the right limbs.

  

PREPARATION:

1. Lie down on your back, back pressed tightly to floor where it will stay during the entire
exercise.

2. Knees draw in toward chest, both hands in back of head - don't pull on your neck.

3. Lift shoulders and hold.
 

EXECUTION:

1. Very slowly extend left leg to parallel to floor and hold 10 seconds.

2. Very slowly reverse the legs. You may find yourself panting but that is normal. This is hard
work done properly (keeping the back on the floor) but it is extremely effective.

3. Do 5 each leg.

  

PREPARATION:

1. Lie on your back on the floor or other hard surface.

2. Raise legs and arms directly overhead, all four sets of digits pointing to the ceiling, palms face
each other.

3. Head rests on the floor, BACK STAYS GLUED TO THE FLOOR DURING THE ENTIRE
NEXT PHASE!

1. Slowly open limbs out to the sides, like opening the covers of a book.

2. Slowly bring them back to starting position, like closing the covers of a book.

3. Slowly lower all four limbs down the FRONT, arms parallel the legs, but stop when legs are
NO LOWER THAN 45 degrees from the floor.
 
 

 

4. The back must remain absolutely flat on the floor for this to work the abdominals without
engaging the rectus abdominis, something traditional situps do but that YOU don't want to do
here.

5. Hold the position, breathing, for about 10 seconds, then slowly lift limbs back to starting
position and do the "open book" part again.

6. Do 6.

NOTE: Limbs should not lower any further in front than 45 degrees off the floor. If your back
begins to rise up off the floor, raise your legs higher to flatten the back. It will vary from person to
person; weak abs and back may only be able to support the legs 70-80 degrees off the floor for the
10 seconds. Strength should be built over time.  During the time the legs are held in lowered
position, the transversus abs are working very hard.

  

PREPARATION:

1. Sit on the floor with your arms extended diagonally forward and upward, palms down.

2. Place your feet on the floor, knees bent.
EXECUTION:

1. Leaning back slightly, lift the right leg up (straight) so that the tops of both thighs are level
with each other.

2. At this point, the lifted leg and the arms parallel each other.

3. Hold the position, breathing normally, or you may find yourself panting, which is all right.

4. Hold for 20 seconds, then switch.

 

                         Beginner Level
NOTE: If your torso is already very strong, raise both bent legs at the same time and hold to
fatigue. Keep the back rounded backward just a bit.
 

  

  

PREPARATION:

1. Sit on the floor, shoes off, soles of feet touching, legs bent.

2. Grasp all the toes of each foot with the same-side hand, palms down.

1. Slowly, trying to maintain balance, extend first one leg out to the side, then the other.
 NOTE: Beginners, keep one foot on the floor and extend only one leg out instead of both at the
same time.

2. Hold this arms-and-legs-open position and notice the abdominals working to keep you balanced
on your buttocks.
 

  

                                                                             View 1             View 2

NOTE: If you cannot reach your toes, grasp your calves underhanded instead.

  

PREPARATION:

1. Lie down on your back, extend legs forward, relaxed, feet fall open.

2. Place hands behind head.

EXECUTION:

1. Inhale deeply. Exhaling, slowly lift your right shoulder up off the floor.

2. While lifting, bring the REAR of the right rib cage toward the FRONT of your RIGHT hip,
NOT toward your left hip.

 

4. Hold the position for 20 seconds, breathing.

5. Do 6 on each side, alternating sides.

  

PREPARATION:

1. Lie down on your back, one hand behind head, the other on abs.

2. Knees pull into chest.

3. Open knees and touch toes together.

4. Flatten back to the floor tightly and KEEP IT THERE.

EXECUTION:

1. With back remaining flattened, drop navel down toward spine and keep it there.

2. Slowly, and  without unbending knees, lower the feet toward the floor without actually
touching the floor, as far down as possible and hold for 30 seconds, breathing normally.

  

3. With one hand, poke around in your abdominal area and notice that your abdominal muscles,
especially at the waistline, are working very hard to keep the back flattened.

4. Return the knees to starting position, take a deep breath and repeat, holding each "Frog" for 30
seconds.

  

PREPARATION:

1. Lie down on your back with your right leg fully extended but NOT resting on the floor.

2. Bring left knee to chest and hold it there.

3. Place left hand behind head.

4. Drop navel in toward the spine and hold it there.

5. Reach toward the ceiling with your right arm.

EXECUTION:

1. Lift the head and your entire right scapula (shoulder blade) and back of rib cage straight up
toward the ceiling and HOLD. Don't "twist" the torso: lift straight upward instead.

2. While doing this, angle only the arm gently toward your midline and on a very slight diagonal
across the navel. Hold it there with the shoulder still lifted directly upward.
3. You will be "balanced" on your LEFT shoulder blade.

5. Switch sides. Do 3 on each side.

  

PREPARATION:

1. Lie down on your back with all four limbs straight up in the air.

2. With limbs straight, cross them over each other and hold.

EXECUTION:

1. Very slowly, open the limbs, uncrossing them, as far as they will go.

  

2. Very slowly, close them again.

3. Repeat 8x, taking a full 5-6 seconds for each movement.

NOTE: It is extremely important that you keep your back flat on the floor and your navel
pulled in toward your spine the entire time you do the following exercise. If you find you
cannot yet do this without your back rising up from the floor, do the Scarlett O'Hara's and The
Frog for about a month before trying this one again.

  

PREPARATION:

1. Lie down on your back with your left leg straight up and your right leg parallel to the floor
(don't rest the leg on the floor).

2. Place your left arm overhead almost resting on the floor, your right arm down at your side,
paralleling the right leg.

1. Very slowly (take a full 10 seconds), lower the left leg and left arm to match the position of the
right limbs while exchanging sides so that now the right limbs are in the "preparation position #1,
a "scissoring" movement.

2. Reverse without stopping, taking a full 10 seconds for each exchange.

  

PREPARATION:

1. Lie down on your back, hands behind head.

2. Knees pull into chest.

3. Open knees and touch toes together.

4. Flatten back to the floor tightly and keep it there.

5. Lift the shoulders off the floor only halfway as far as you can really lift.

6.With back remaining flattened to the floor, drop navel down toward spine and keep it there.

EXECUTION:

1. Slowly, and without unbending knees, lower the feet toward the floor without actually touching
the floor, as far down as possible and hold, breathing normally.

2. Meanwhile, while "hovering" the toes only about 1" above the floor and with shoulders slightly
lifted as in #5 (preparation) and with your back glued to the floor, lift the right shoulder blade off
the floor and hold for 20 seconds.
 
3.  Without permitting yourself to lower your shoulders all the way down to the floor, reverse the
shoulder lift, doing the right on this time and again, hold for 20 seconds.

4. Repeat twice more on each side.

  

PREPARATION:

1. Lie down on your stomach on a mat or something firm, not on the bed.

2. Place all four limbs out to the diagonal so that if viewed from overhead, your body would
resemble the letter, "X".

3. Place forehead on the floor.

4. Take a deep inhalation, squeeze the gluteals very tightly.
 

EXECUTION:

1. Exhaling, lift all four limbs up off the floor along with your head and HOLD the position for 20
seconds, breathing, and pulling the abdominals back up toward your spine as you "hold".

  

2. Release and repeat two more times.

3. When finished, roll over onto your back, pull your knees into your chest and hold (stretching
the spine). Release knees and relax.

  

PREPARATION:

1. Sit on the floor, knees bent, feet on the floor.

2. Round the back, tuck chin into chest and reach arms forward with a slight upward rise.

3. Pull navel to spine.

EXECUTION:

1. One vertebrae at a time, roll very slowly backward.

2. Try not to "flop" onto the floor. BREATHE!

3. Roll very slowly all the way back to a prone position.

4. Inhale deeply when you are lying flat, then exhaling, then begin slowly rising. Don't use
momentum to bring yourself back up; use your hands to pull up if necessary.

6. Repeat twice more without stopping.
NOTE: These rollbacks and rollups should be done very slowly. Try not to use momentum as you
rise up.

  

PREPARATION:

1. Lie down on your back on a hard surface.

2. Extend your left leg fully paralleling the floor, but don't let it actually touch the floor.

3. Pull right leg to chest and hold it there.

4. Place hands behind head.

5. Lift shoulders ONLY halfway up.

6. Pull navel to spine and hold it there. Breathe!

EXECUTION:

1. Now touch the right elbow to the left knee and hold for 20 seconds.

3. Repeat once again each side.

  

PREPARATION:

1. Sit on the floor, feet on the floor, knees bent.

2. Arms reach forward.

3. Lift feet off floor and parallel the shins to the ceiling.

EXECUTION:

1. Pulling the navel tightly toward the spine, hold the lift for 20 seconds.

2. Now swing the arms right and the knees left and HOLD for 20 seconds.

3. Come back to center and HOLD for 20 seconds.

4. Swing arms left and knees right and hold for 20 seconds.

5. Repeat the sequence one more time.

NOTE: Again, think, "Navel to spine!" This is important.
 

  

  

PREPARATION:
NOTE: The only difference between this and #9, The Wish Bone, is that this one is
            dynamic (in motion),  while the Wish Bone is static (still).
1. Balance yourself, sitting up, on your bottom with all four limbs not touching the floor.

2. Cross your ankles and your wrists.

EXECUTION:

1. Still balanced, slowly open legs and arms out to the sides.

2. Come back to starting position, and repeat to fatigue.

  

PREPARATION:

1. Balance yourself, sitting up, on your bottom with right leg extended, left knee pulled
   in toward the chest.

2. Right arm up reaches diagonally forward and up toward the ceiling.

3. Left arm "pulls" down.

1. Pretend your arms are pulling on a rope suspended from the ceiling in a hand-over-hand movement.

2. Exchange the position of the legs for each change of arms.

3. At no time does either foot touch the floor nor do you roll backward onto your back.

4. Tempo of the leg changes should be "one-one thousand, two-one thousand,  three-one thousand";
     i.e., not fast, not slow ------- to fatigue.

REMINDER: Choose only 3 daily and do them for no more than ten minutes per session. Do them exclusively for one month, then notice the great results. During this month's trial time, please avoid situps, crunches
and reverse crunches - you will find that your waistline is narrowed, your abdominal area is flatter and your abdominal strength, good for holding in the abs while doing your daily functioning, is greatly enhanced.