by Lata Srinivasan
It is that one part of our body which none of us are really happy with, where the flab is most stubborn and is usually the biggest trouble area. Tummy fat has always been the scariest part of being overweight. Vigorous exercise combined with a strict diet may help to flatten the stomach but once you stop exercising the bulge automatically comes back.
Middle age, sedentary work style and over eating cause this bulge in men. Pregnancy and child birth, premenstrual stress, menopause and several other factors make women bulge in the middle. This can be frustrating and leads to depression in many people. Being overweight is indeed a weighty issue that millions of people around the world are battling with. Gyms and fitness centres are thriving on it. It is quite expensive to join a gym or hire a fitness trainer. Not many of us can afford it.
To achieve that always dreamt off healthy-looking midsection, it needs to be a combination of workouts, a healthy organic diet and regular exercise, which comprises of tummy toners. Several trainers are of the opinion that flex belts and trx training may help to reduce weight in the mid section.
Here are five quick and easy work-outs to tone up your abdomen:
1. Crunches:
First crunches are not sit-ups. Doing a vertical crunch or a reverse crunch is an excellent way to tone the tummy.
For vertical crunch, lie on the floor on your back, bend the elbows and place the hands at the back of the head and then cross the legs at your ankles. Start now by bringing your legs up, slightly bending the knees. Do not forget to tighten your abdominal muscles.
While doing the reverse crunch, lay down similarly, placing the hands below the head, crossing legs at your ankles, raising the feet above the ground, and bending your knees till the thighs are at 90-degree angle to the body. Ensure you tighten the abs and do not swing the legs.
2. Bicycle movements:
While positioning yourself with your back on the floor, keep the arms on the floor and bend the elbows and place fingers under the head. Bring the legs straight up, bend knees at a 45-degree angle and pedal like riding a bicycle.
3. Lying Scissors:
This works on the lower abdominal muscles. You start with placing your back on a mat with your palms below the lower back and legs outstretched. You need to exhale as you raise your legs up alternately, bending it slight. You should inhale when you lower the legs back down to the ground.
4. Combining Exercises:
There is no single exercise that can get you the desired toned abs quickly; you need to combine all abdominal exercises into your regular routine. A five-minute short exercise regimen that works only on your tummy can make a world of difference by not only building ab strength and posture but also keeping you safe from low back pain.
5. Skipping:
Before starting your abdominal toning work out, skip for a while. Fifty skips a day will help you in the beginning. As you go along gradually increase it to five hundred skips a day. This will help you to shed weight and look trim.
Lastly, remember to treat your body as a complete unit rather than concentrating on just the waistline. The most common mistake is doing too many abdominal exercises but neglecting calorie burning cardiovascular exercises like walking, cycling, swimming, jogging, etc.
The best abdominal toning workouts are not just a means to get toned abs to be proud about, but also a very crucial part of strength training for the lower and upper body. It not only gives that perfect shape to the body but also boosts metabolism that controls the lower body fat. Instead of starving and exercising vigorously, eat smart and work out intelligently to achieve a toned abdomen. That will help your middle to glow with health and vitality. You’ll be the envy of your peers when you wear a short top or beach wear with a gleaming and shapely abdomen.
(Latasri is a health and fitness enthusiast who likes to blog on these subjects. While she makes available trx coupon code and flex belt coupon in her website that sells coupons and discounts for fitness freaks, she also writes reviews about flex belts and trx training.)
It is also important to emphasize that you lose weight proportionately throughout the body. It is very difficult to lose tummy fat only without losing weight on your thigh and other parts of the body.
So it is smart to focus on losing weight overall instead of just focusing on the abs.
Don’t forget the plank which works almost all the muscles in your body at the same time, including your abs!
I like your suggestion to skip! Adds some fun into your day. Who can skip without feeling like a kid again?!