sit-up

n.
A physical exercise in which one uses the abdominal muscles to raise the torso from a supine to a sitting position and then lies back down again without moving the legs.

An exercise to improve the strength and endurance of stomach muscles. There are many variations, some of which do more harm than good. Harmful versions include those which put too much strain on the neck and lower back (for example by quickly bringing the chest almost to the knees). Sit-ups are a great exercise, but only when performed correctly.▪ Begin by lying on your back with legs slightly bent at 45 degrees, and with your feet flat on the floor. Rest your hands on your thighs and move them towards the knees during the sit-up. (Your hand position is important because it affects the exercise intensity; this is the safest and easiest position for beginners.) Throughout the whole exercise, press your lower back against the floor; keep your neck and shoulders relaxed and your chin off your chest. Use your stomach muscles to slowly lift your shoulders off the floor, exhaling as you do so. Hold the inclined position for 2-3 seconds, then slowly return to the start position, breathing in as you do so; do not allow your head to touch the floor. Start with no more than 10 repetitions in one set, gradually increasing the workout to three to five sets of 15 repetitions.Sit-ups are sometimes used as a test of strength and muscular endurance of the abdominal (stomach) muscles. This should be done only if you are in good condition and do not suffer from back problems.

	NUMBER OF SIT-UPS IN 30 SECONDS
RATING	MALE	FEMALE
excellent	>30	>25
good	26-30	21-25
average	20-25	15-20
fair	15-19	10-14
poor	<15	<10

1.  Rise to a sitting position from lying down, as in The sick child sat up and asked for a drink of water. [Early 1200s]
2.  Stay up later than usual, as in The nurse sat up with her all night long. [Mid-1500s]
3.  Sit with the spine erect, as in She was always telling the students to sit up. [Early 1700s]
4.  Become suddenly alert, as in The students sat up when he brought up the test. The same sense appears in the related sit up and take notice, as in When he mentioned the arrival of a movie star, they all sat up and took notice. [Late 1800s]

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An exercise to improve strength and endurance of abdominal muscles. There are many variations, some do more harm than good. Harmful versions include those in which the legs are kept straight, and too much strain is imposed on the neck and lower back. Typically, the subject lies on his or her back, usually with hands on top of the head, knees bent, and soles of the feet flat on the floor about hip-width apart. The subject than curls up, either just lifting the shoulders off the floor or up to a sitting position, touching the elbows to the knees.

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Dansk (Danish)
n. - sit-up

Nederlands (Dutch)
opzitoefening

Français (French)
n. - (Sport) abdominaux (npl)

Deutsch (German)
n. - Bewegung aus der Rückenlage in den Langsitz

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - κοιλιακός, κοιλιακή άσκηση

Italiano (Italian)
alzarsi a sedere

Português (Portuguese)
n. - abdominal (m)

Русский (Russian)
переход в сидячее положение, дать внимание

Español (Spanish)
n. - ejercicios abdominales

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - sit-up

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
仰卧起坐

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 仰臥起坐

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 윗몸 일으키기

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 腹筋運動, 起き上がり運動

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) ألجلوس, بأنتصاب‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮כפיפת בטן‬

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