Do you make a conscious effort to suck your stomach in all day every day? My mother always tells me I should be doing it all the time but I don't understand why. Does it help you engage your core?

I do- from my experience it helps my posture which in turn helps back/neck problems and makes my tummy look better anyways- I don't think of "sucking in". Though- more like tightening your abs a little but all day.

Tightening the abs, that's what I meant. My mother swears that it becomes a habit you don't even think about after a while.

I engage all my abs while I'm doing Pilates every day. But usually only during that hour. I've been practicing Pilates for over three years and I have noticed that during the rest of my day, when I am performing certain tasks that require use of my abs, I am engaging them as if I were in class. So even when I'm driving, abs are engaged as I sit in the car. When I bend over to pull something out of a cabinet, abs are engaged, as are my glutes to help me pick myself up. But I don't consciously suck in my gut all day.

My grandma told my mother the same thing and my mom in turn told me the same thing so I don't know if it really works or whatever. I do it whenever I remember and that is usually during exercise, lol.

I have to make a conscious effort to do so while working out, relaxing, and working. I don't always do it, but I do try and catch myself to do it when I realize I haven't been tightening my core!

She's right. I've been holding in my tummy (minus being prego) since I was a teen. I don't even realize it. I kind of find it weird that I can now (well not right NOW, not preg, you get the idea) do it all day and not get tired. I mean I would think my abdomen would get sore, but no. Its kind of weird when I let it out on purpose, especially after having kids, a lot comes falling out and hanging over!

Haha me too. It's amazing what pregnancy does to your body.

I have been doing it since I was in middle school I believe, and I would never notice it. Over time, my stomach got firm, and I could see some definition. I would always wonder why I magically got abs without doing any exercise whatsoever.

I'm 56 and my mother told me this when I was a teenager , I did it then and still do now... I have passed on this bit of wisdom to my daughter... I really do think it helps your posture and core... Everyone always comments on how flat my stomach is too ....

ETA: If I let my stomach go it actually hurts...

Interesting, thank you! Does it actually work out your midsection? Should I be doing it while I'm sitting as well? When I try doing it it hinders my breathing a little, I want to make sure I'm doing it correctly. I've always thought of this as an old wives tale but maybe there's something to it.

I'm in school for physical therapist assisting and it's not really good to suck your tummy in. It causes you to chest breath. The most effective breathing is diaphragmatic breathing. It strengthens your diaphragm which is your primary breathing muscle. When you breathe, put one hand on your chest and one on your stomach. Your chest should move minimally while your stomach moves a lot. Probably not the answer you were hoping for but, there it is.

I'm not talking holding in your tummy with the suck it in might that's got you unable to breath!! lol. I light tightening of your tummy muscles is fine. If you are sucking it in so crazy tight that you can't breath, its ok to take it down a little. I've been doing this forever basically and I don't chest breath. I do it while working out and running, and I'm definitely still doing diaphragmatic breathing and its not causing any issues what so ever.

Well suck in away then! Yes I'm aware that sounded bad. Hope I didn't offend.

Sucking in was definitely the wrong choice of words on my part. Tightening the abs is more apropos. It's much easier to do while walking, very difficult to do when sitting down.