EASY + SIMPLE AB-QUICKIES

• Drink water instead of soda and fruit juice. Yes, it’s old news, but it’s also smart and easy news. Sugar will add pounds to your tummy. Even just diluting your juice with water will make a difference.

• Perform a legs-up crunch. Lie flat on the floor, and rest your legs on something high enough to allow for a 90 degree bend in your knees (like a chair or the sofa or your bed). Fold your arms across your chest and curl up slowly. Don’t come all the way up – pause holding your back slightly off the floor. Hold that position, lower and repeat.

• Concentrate on sitting and standing up straight. This requires you to pull in your abs, and it strengthens them naturally. It’s also great for your back – if you have frequent lower-back pain, it’s just another reason to improve your abdominals.

Obtaining that six-pack is a challenge, but the end result is as rewarding as ever. It’s not only about exercise, but also includes healthy diet and lifestyle modifications. Lose abdominal fat and improve the appearance of your midsection by developing and toning the abdominal muscles, reducing caloric intake, increasing 24-hr metabolism, and burning calories through exercise. By combining interval training, weight training, aerobics, and a healthy diet will help you lose that unwanted fat and keep it off. By integrating all efforts together, it makes the process smoother and results are seen quicker.

As with any exercise regimen, start conservatively and progress gradually. These secrets that are about to be revealed to you will help you win that beach body you have been dreaming for.

Here are some exercises that will define your core by toning and strengthening, helping to build solid abdominal muscles:

Curl-Ups
This exercise builds the rectus abdominis muscles, also known as the six-pack muscle. You can also work the obliques by adding a twist to the movement.

Lie on your back on a mat with one knee bent and foot flat on the floor, with the other leg extended.
Beginners should place hands under the lower back and maintain a neutral spine, meaning don’t flatten your back to the mat.

Curl up as far as possible, contracting the rectus abdominis muscle, but not your neck and shoulder muscles. Make sure not to strain your neck or back.

As your fitness improves and you feel more comfortable progressing to the next stage, place arms folded over your chest when performing this exercise. Eventually, you want to place your hands lightly on your forehead or behind your head, once again careful not to pull your neck and head.

Begin with 5-10 curls and progress to multiple sets of 15-20. Try to perform three full sets of reps you feel most comfortable with. This exercise can hurt your back if done correctly, so be careful to not strain back.

Abdominal Hold
Find a sturdy chair or steps with four rises and sit tall, placing hands on the edge of the chair or steps pointing out towards your knees.

Tighten abs and bring your legs up 2 to 4 inches off the floor, raising your butt off the chair or steps.

Hold this position for as long as you can- try to aim for 5 to 10 seconds.

Lower yourself down to starting position and repeat.

Continue this exercise for 1 minute

Bird-Dog Exercise
The name sounds funky, but don’t let it deceive you. This exercise builds muscle endurance in the spinal extensors with assistance from other core muscles. Also helps balancing and stability, making you feel longer and steadier.

On a mat, begin on all fours aligning your knees under your hips and wrists under your shoulders.

Raise left arm to shoulder height and right leg to hip height, keeping your spine aligned. Do not raise either arm or leg above spine level (don’t arch your back).

Hold this position for 10-30 seconds, reaching forward with your fingers and back with your heels

Return to starting position and repeat, with right arm and left leg this time.

Do 15-20 reps, alternating sides.

Challenge yourself- touch elbow to opposite leg when pulling your arm and leg in.

These exercises combined with weight training and intensity training (cardio: jogging, running, elliptical, etc.) and a healthy diet will help speed up your metabolism, burning fat while you rest. Some extra tips:

Do aerobics at least 5 days a week for 30-90 minutes. Good exercises for abdominal fat loss include jogging, brisk walking, cycling, elliptical, high-intensity swimming. Try a spinning class with a buddy!

Interval training boosts fat loss in the midsection, while also improving fitness. This involves several intense exercises with short rest periods in between. Try some classes at a local gym, such as Boot Camp.  If not signed up for a fitness club, you can try “walk-back sprinting”, in which you sprint for a short distance (100-800 meters) and then turn around and walk back to starting point to do it all over again. Continue for half hour to an hour, depending on intensity and how much you can handle.

Be more active at home and work. Try to take the stairs, instead of elevator. Go for a brisk walk at lunchtime. Try home activities such as walking up and down the stairs, throw away the remote, walk the neighborhood or go for a jog. Don’t let yourself become a couch potato- active, active, active is the way to go!

Weight training helps build the major muscle groups, increase metabolic rate, and promote abdominal fat loss. Set a goal to train for 2-3 days a week, which will contribute to a sleek, sexy stomach.
Go out and try some of these exercises, either at home or at the gym. It is important to also alter your eating habits, limiting yours caloric intake, and try to eat 3-6 small meals per day. This way you won’t overeat and your body will have fuel to run on all day. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and don’t be afraid to fill up on your calories in the morning. This also helps prevent overeating or binge eating later on in the day. Keep it healthy and you are bound to see results as soon as a couple weeks!
Good luck and get that delicious core you have been dreaming of!

Adapted from FitnessRx Magazine, issue April 2009 and www.fitnessmagazine.com, “Our Top 10 Abs Exercises”

Regular strength training increases lean body mass. This doesn’t mean you’re going to bulk up if you include regular weight training into your routine. Sure, if you devote your life to becoming a bodybuilder you can bulk up but it is very difficult for a woman to bulk up because we lack testosterone. Weight training increases your metabolic rate. Each pound of lean body mass burns 35-50 calories per day. Fat burns less than 1/3 of that. By increasing your lean body mass you will lose weight faster.

Weight training is great for your bones and joints! Strength training can increase bone mass and decrease your risk for osteoporosis and bone fractures later in life.  Strength training also strengthens the tendons and muscles surrounding your joints, which will help prevent injuries.

Getting your heart pumping with some dumbbells can actually protect your heart from disease. Strength training can reduce you cholesterol and blood pressure, which are two major risk factors for heart disease. With heart disease as the number one killer of women in America, this alone, is reason enough to start a strength training program.

Other benefits of strength training include reduced risk of depression, diabetes, and obesity. It’s also great for improving balance and enhances everyday skills such as walking and picking up children, which are very important later in life.

Starting a strength training program doesn’t mean you have to totally reschedule your life. First check with your doctor before starting a program. A few people are at risk and have special limitations for weight training. Develop a program with a professional or use training guides to create your own.  Aim to strength train 2-3 times per week and train all the major muscle groups each time you lift. A good program should include 3 sets of 8-12 reps. By including strength training in your normal workout, you can shed pounds and decrease your risk for many ailments later in life!