abdominal | Robin's One Stop Fitness

3 Pilates Exercises for Your Abs

10/16/2013 1 Comment

Getting and keeping a firm, toned abdomen can become increasingly difficult as we age. Some increase in belly fat may be due to aging, but a more sedentary lifestyle combined with high calorie diets can also pack on the pounds around your waist. When women reach middle age, hormonal changes mean that excess calories are stored as fat around your belly, on your hips and on your thighs. Weight gain and an increased waist line is not inevitable. Staying active, exercising and cutting calories can help get you trim and keep you fit. Pilates is a good way to work your abs while strengthening your arms and legs.

The toe dip Pilates move will work all of your abs, especially your obliques and lower abs. Lie on your back and bend your knees. Lift your legs, with your knees bent, until your thighs are straight and your calves are parallel to the floor. Place your hands on the floor on each side of your thighs with your palms down. Squeeze your belly and breathe in. Point your toes and lower one foot toward the floor. Keep your knees bent. Stop just an inch or two inches above the floor. Hold the position for 2 to 3 seconds and then exhale as you bring your leg back to the start position. Repeat 10 times on each side. You can do 10 repetitions with one leg and then 10 more with the other leg, or alternate legs until you do 10 repetitions on each side.

Leg circles work all of your ab muscles while strengthening your legs. Lie on the floor with your legs stretched out. Raise one leg toward the ceiling and point your toes. Make sure your hands are placed palms down on either side of your thighs. Make 10 small circles with your toes toward the left and then 10 small circles to the right. Bring your leg back to the floor and repeat on the other side.

Finish off your Pilates ab workout by doing a set of leg kicks. Lie on one side of your body with your legs straight out. Place one leg on top of the other and support your upper body on your elbow. Lift your ribs off the floor. Place your other hand (the one that is not supporting your weight) on the floor in front of your tummy to support your body and provide stability. Raise your top leg a few inches and point your toes. Swing your leg forward in front of your body as far as is comfortable for you. Hold the position for 2 seconds and then swing your leg back to the starting position. Do 10 repetitions on each side.

Filed under abdominal, abdominal muscles, abs, fitness, healthy body, Pilates, strengthen, stretching, workout

Functional Ab Exercise

01/17/2013 Leave a comment

You’ve probably heard the phrase “functional training” tossed around at the gym or used by your personal trainer. Chances are you aren’t really sure what it means. Functional training is simply doing exercises that are similar to real life movements. For example, when you climb stairs, you use your legs, thighs, hips, core, back, arms and abs. Some stair stepper machines don’t work your arms or work only your lower body. Functional training uses more natural movements that simulate real life activities. Your muscles work in planes of motion that are normal. Many injuries occur when you exercise beyond the normal planes of movement. Functional training helps eliminate this risk. Functional training also strengthens your muscles, which makes every day activities easier. Your abdominal muscles stabilize your spine and hips, as well as assist in maintaining balance and lifting. A weak core impacts your overall level of fitness and endurance. Strengthen your core to be stronger, enjoy better balance and avoid back pain.

One of the best exercises to strengthen your core muscles as well as your back muscles for a stable spine is the plank. Your abdominal muscles help to stabilize your spine. The plank exercises is function in that you aren’t crunching or twisting in an unnatural manner. Your aren’t actually moving at all. The plank exercise trains your abdominal muscles, so that you develop stability and support for your spine. Keep your spine in a neutral, or straight, position when doing planks and squeeze your abdominal muscles to help keep your spine straight. Make a straight line with your body from the top of your head to your heels and hold the position for 20 to 30 seconds. It’s okay if you can hold a plank for only a few seconds in the beginning. Add 5 seconds to your hold each time you do planks and soon you will be holding the position for 30 seconds or longer without sagging your back.

Filed under abdominal, abdominal muscles, abs, belly fat, functional exercise

Workout For Couch Potatoes

06/26/2012 Leave a comment

Photo Credit: Bart Everson CC-BY-2.0

If you’ve been inactive for a long time, it may be difficult to get started on a fitness program. Everyone needs to get at least 30 minutes of exercise every day. It doesn’t matter whether you exercise for 30 minutes uninterrupted or in 5 minute or 10 minute intervals. Beginners can begin a fitness routine without even leaving their television room. When watching your favorite television program, exercise during commercial breaks to firm, tone and lose weight.

On the first commercial break, drop and do 10 push-ups! Push-ups work your arms, chest, back and abdominal muscles. If regular push-ups are too difficult, get on your hands and knees to do push-ups instead of stretching your legs out. When your arms and abs are stronger, try doing 20 push-ups.

Chair squats are easy to do but give your butt, thighs and abs a good workout. On the second commercial break, stand up in front of your chair with your hands on your hips. Keep your back straight and bend your body at the hips. Lower your butt toward your chair, but don’t touch the chair seat. Push your body back up straight using your legs. Do 10 chair squats and increase the number of repetitions as you grow stronger.

Replace the magazines and snacks on your television room table with a glass of water, dumbbells and resistance bands. Do 10 biceps curls using light-weight dumbbells, 2 pounds to 5 pounds in the beginning. You can also do 10 repetitions of triceps extensions, arm raises and shoulder presses during the commercial breaks. Use resistance bands by standing on the band and pulling upward to exercise your biceps.

Combine your couch potato workout with a healthy, low-fat diet and drink plenty of water. Can you think of other ways to get fit during commercials?

Filed under 5 minutes, abdominal, abs, activities, workout, workouts

Still Trying To Lose Belly Fat? Try An Exercise Ball

06/18/2012 Leave a comment

Photo Credit: LocalFitness.com.au

It can be difficult to lose stubborn belly fat. There are no reliable and safe quick fixes. Diet pills won’t burn away belly fat and fad diets are dangerous. To get rid of belly fat, you have to eat a healthy, low-fat diet and exercise. Sometimes even the most dedicated person can reach a plateau in the battle against belly fat and just can’t seem to lose those last couple of inches. Try an exercise ball. An exercise ball, also called a fitness ball, may help you tight up your abdominal muscles and lose those last couple of inches of belly fat. Continue to exercise regularly, eat a nutritious low-fat diet and drink plenty of water.

Exercise ball crunches can help you burn belly fat because you are not only doing crunches, you have to balance on the ball which works your obliques, hips, thighs and lower leg muscles. To do crunches on an exercise ball, sit on the ball with your feet planted firmly on the floor. Place your feet about hip-width apart on the floor and sit up straight. Cross your arms over your chest. Inhale and squeeze your abdominal muscles. Slowly lean backwards until you feel the pull in your abdominal muscles. Hold the position for a couple of seconds and then exhale as you slowly return to the upright position. Do 10 repetitions if you are a beginner and slowly increase the number of repetitions by adding 5 repetitions every other day.

The exercise ball lift is an easy-to-do exercise that will really work your abdominal muscles and burn belly fat. Lie on your back and place the exercise ball between your ankles. Place your hands on either side of your body, palms down for stability. Squeeze the ball with your ankles and inhale. Tighten up your abs and slowly lift the ball using your legs. Lift the ball as high as you can and hold it for 3 to 5 seconds. Exhale and lower the ball back to the floor. Do 10 to 15 repetitions. Add 5 repetitions each week until you can perform 25 to 30 repetitions. Add some extra fat burning power to your ball lift by adding an ab crunch to the lift. Cross your hands over your chest and lift your upper body toward your knees as your lift the ball with your ankles. Hold the crunch and lift for 5 seconds and the roll your upper body back to the floor slowly as you lower your legs.

Filed under abdominal, abs, belly fat, exercise, fitness, weight loss