Annie Robinson asked:
We all want a flat, sexy tummy and getting one can be simpler than you think. Fitness routines that you can do at home on your lounge room floor, can create the abs you want. All you need is a little dedication, perseverance and motivation.
Remember all worthwhile fitness routines have a combination of three factors that are essential in getting and maintaining good muscle tone, stamina and a body beautiful.
1. A healthy eating plan
2. An exercise program that benefits the whole body and not just one or two sets of muscles and ignores others
3. Controlled breathing during the exercise routine
Of course there are other important factors to take into account that are common sense, such as being smoke free, taking care with alcohol consumption, avoiding pigging out, cutting down on your late nights etc., but these hints are designed to be of benefit while actually involved in exercising.
Getting a flat and sexy stomach means exercising all the muscles that make up the abdominal group to achieve good hip definition as well as a trim tummy.
The added benefit is that some of these routines will firm up the thighs and for the ladies burn off the pockets of fat in the upper legs that lead to cellulite, but more of that later.
Remember that throughout these exercises it is important to tighten and to keep tensed the abdominal muscles involved in each routine.
Make distinct controlled movements with a slight pause between each phase, by this I mean do every action in a controlled manner making sure to do each one slowly enough for you to distinctly feel the benefit in the muscles the routine is working.
Exhale on every contraction and inhale slowly and deeply as you return to the start position.
Regular rhythmical breathing is very important as it gets essential oxygen into the blood stream to the benefit of those muscles that need it and helps you to breathe out much of the lactic acid your body produces during exercise.
Finally it is important to achieve a balance between overexertion and becoming excessively tired and not pushing yourself past a little initial discomfort.
Repeat each exercise until you can feel the beginning of muscular fatigue, pause for a short while (approximately 30 to 60 seconds) and move on to the next. That way all the abdominal muscles (abs) will get the benefit.
Exercise 1
Upper ab workout
Lie flat on the floor with the knees bent, feet flat on the floor, hands behind the head and the elbows extended outwards.
Keep your eyes looking forward at the ceiling as you raise your head, neck and shoulders upward, then using the natural abdominal muscles lift your chest and chin towards the area you have been looking at.
**Take care of your neck during this exercise by keeping it straight and avoid engaging the neck muscles, use the abdomen to lift your upper torso. Try not to use your arm muscles either, just your abs. You may not life very far at first but this can still be quite tiring.
Hold for a moment.
Slowly return to the prone position and do not forget to control your breathing.
Repeat until you begin to tire.
Exercise 2
Lower ab workout
Lie flat on the floor with your hands flat on either side of your head.
Keeping the hands, head and shoulders flat on the floor raise the legs as near to the vertical as you can, keeping them together and straight at all times.
Hold for a count of three and then slowly lower.
Control is important in this exercise so make the movements definite without hurrying.
If you have access to a bench then this exercise is easier to control as you can grasp the edges of the bench to provide more leverage.
This exercise is great for the thighs and you can vary it by extending one leg at a time.
Optional lower ab workout for those who are just starting out or have health issues like lower back problems.
Lie flat on the floor with your hands beside your head. Select a side to begin on and using that leg drag your heel lightly along the floor upward toward your bottom. When you have reached the limit of your leg to come upward, kick up toward the ceiling with your foot until your leg is straight (or as nearly straight as you can make it). When your leg is straight; gently and slowly lower back down into its original position lying straight on the floor. Repeat using the other leg and then repeat these repetitions until your muscles are tired.
**This Optional Lower Ab workout is great for helping to alleviate lower back pain and strengthen the muscles that support the spine!
Exercise 3
Upper and middle ab workout
Lie flat on the back with the hands behind the head.
Hold the legs together and bending at the knees, raise the legs until the thighs are perpendicular to the floor.
Looking forward and upward lift the chest and head toward that point.
Hold for a definitive moment and lower slowly.
Exercise 4
Waist and hip definition workout.
You will need a bar or straight piece of wood or similar about 4 feet long, a broom handle will do.
Stand up straight and put the bar behind your neck and hold it either side with arms half extended and beyond your shoulder line.
With knees slightly bent and your feet about a foot apart bend sideways from the waist without moving the lower body and, it is very important, to pull up through the torso at all times. Resist the urge to curve the back.
Very slowly return to the upright position and without pause lean to the other side.
Extend the leans either side as far as you can manage comfortably, without curving your back, keeping a nice steady controlled slow movement, upright throughout and breathing correctly.
This is not an exercise that requires great effort, just great control so carry on for as long as you can.
Exercise 5
A great exercise but you need some imagination.
You have to find some way of being able to suspend your body off the ground, could be a tree in the garden, your kids swing set, an accommodating door frame or, and this is the best, the horizontal bars in your local gym.
Just hang and bring your knees as far as you can up to your chest before returning to the start.
There are many variations from a suspended position all of which can be of benefit to many of the muscle areas of the body.
Experiment, try out your own ideas, and hang in there!
Just remember not to overdue it.
If you strain an abdominal muscle it can take a long time before you can get back to any sort of abdominal exercise routine, apart from the discomfort you will experience day to day.
Toning that tummy will have to take a back seat.
Remember control your breathing, control the movements and control the diet. All things in moderation!
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