A flat tummy is a dream of every girl. To achieve results, it is important to maintain a balance between diet and physical activity. We suggest you familiarize yourself with fairly simple, but very effective exercises for the abdomen, the implementation of which will help you build up your abs and make your tummy your pride!
Among the complexes of physical activity, one of the most popular is Pilates. This exercise system is ideal for homework. All you need is an exercise mat. All exercises are performed slowly, measuredly and smoothly, so getting injured during training is almost impossible.
Basic rules to get a flat tummy
- An hour before the workout and for hours after it is not recommended to eat.
- Concentrate thought on the part of the body that train.
- Watch your breathing: before performing the movement, inhale, during the execution – exhale, while exhaling, pull the stomach to the spine; then inhale, relax and return to starting position.
- Train barefoot.
The author of the method of correction Slim Body, a fitness coach Dean Oleinik said:
It is ideal to give Pilates 3-4 days a week, while you need to consider that each lesson we work with a specific muscle group – chest and shoulders, for example, or legs and buttocks. Try to rest 1-2 days between workouts.
In order for the result to be noticeable as soon as possible, learn to perform all the exercises in a focused and conscious manner, and then after a month or two you will feel how the muscles become toned and the body becomes more elastic and toned. It is ideal to supplement Pilates with cardio loads before exercise, this will allow you to “warm-up” the muscles and additionally spend 100-200 kcal per workout.
Nine Effective Abdominal Exercises
Exercise for the press “Hundred”
Lie on your back. Lift straight legs a few centimeters above the rug (the less you raise your legs, the more efficiently pump the press), lift the body so that the shoulder blades do not touch the floor, stretch your arms along the body with your palms down. Raise straight arms a little up and return to the starting position – imagine that you are hitting your hands with water. Performing this exercise, the main thing is to breathe correctly – inhale into five counts (into five hand swings) and exhale into five counts (into five hand swaps).
Exercise for the press “Saw”
Starting position: sitting, arms extended to the sides, legs spread apart shoulder width apart, big toes parallel to each other. On inspiration, turn the body to the left, make sure that the pelvis does not move and does not change position.
All muscles from the top of the head to the lower back should be tense. Try to rotate at an angle of 45 degrees. As you exhale, you begin to bend down and stretch forward. At the same time, do not tear your legs off the floor. Goal: with your right hand touch the foot of your left foot. In this case, the left hand is extended back. Hold this position for a few moments.
Now start spinning. Having straightened completely, stretch your crown up. Again, fix your body in this position for a few moments. As you inhale, start moving the other way. And then all the movements are repeated on the other side.
To achieve a good effect, repeat the exercise 2-3 times. It will help you to make your abdominal and lower back muscles taut and strong.
Abdominal Exercise
Lying on your back, firmly press your lower back to the floor, tighten your abs, bend your knees and grab them in your arms, pulling them to your chest. Stretch your elbows to the sides. Tear your head and neck off the floor, bringing your chin to your chest.
On a deep breath, stretch the body along its entire length: legs stretch to the ceiling, hands to the ears. Stretch like in the morning in bed. Imagine being pulled in different directions. As you exhale, lower your arms in a circle and lay them on your knees.
To relieve tension from the upper back, stretch your chest up to your knees and straighten your elbows while exhaling. Try to keep your neck still during exercise. Press the buttocks and hips tightly.
Cross Exercise
Lying on your back, pull your knees to your chest. Keep your hands behind your head, raise your head and shoulders so that only the tips of the shoulder blades touch the floor. Move your stomach closer to your back. Extend your right leg just above the parallel to the floor and twist the body to the side so that you reach your knee with your right elbow.
Pull your elbows to the sides. Hold the position on the exhale. Inhale, change position. Imagine that your case is glued to the floor and you cannot roll from side to side. Twist the body at the waist, and not just rotate your shoulders. The upper back and elbows should not touch the floor. Tighten your hips and buttocks. Repeat 5-10 times.
Exercise for the press “Corkscrew”
Lying on your back, raise straight legs perpendicular to the floor. Hands are straightened along the body. The muscles of the center of power are clamped, concentrate on bringing the navel closer to the spine. As you inhale, start to the right and down to “draw a circle on the ceiling” with two legs. The legs are tightly pressed against each other and work as one.
Do not tear your pelvis off the floor or roll from side to side. Get the press involved as much as possible. Stretch the back of the neck, shoulders relax and maintain this relaxation throughout the exercise. Attach the whole body to the floor. Clamp the buttocks so that there is no clearance between the legs. If at first, it’s hard to do such an exercise, you can put your hands under the coccyx and make small circles.
Exercise for the press “Circle leg”
Lying on your back, lift one leg up and lock it vertically. Stretch your toe to the ceiling. Turn your heel a little inward. Stretch the body, firmly press the second leg to the floor, relax the shoulders and upper back. Hands along the body, abut them on the floor for added stability. Follow the circle with your foot, as if drawing a circle on the ceiling with your thumb, starting inward and downward. Work mainly with the joint, straining the leg along the entire length. Do not lower your leg too much. Press the housing against the floor. Tighten the press.
Puzzle Exercise
Lying on the floor, legs extended, arms are behind the head. Slowly raise your legs up at an angle of 45 degrees. With a breath, bring your hands forward and slowly reach for them forward and up, lifting your back from the floor. Balancing on the tailbone, keep your legs and back 45 degrees from the floor. Keep your arms parallel to your legs. As you exhale, start twisting the body down. Having touched the floor with your head, stretch your arms back and stretch them, stretching the body, lower your straight legs onto the mat without bending in the lower back. Repeat three times.
Exercise for the press “Swimming”
Lying on your stomach, squeeze your legs in the Pilates position, arms stretch forward. Stretch the body along its entire length. Tear off your legs and arms from the floor, stretch them up. Flattened shoulder blades pull down. Start changing arms and legs, as if swimming. Keep your arms and legs tense. Exhale and inhale for 5 strokes. Keep the center of the casing motionless. Do not throw your head back. The key point of the exercise is control over movement from the center of the body. Tighten your stomach.
Exercise for the press “Little Mermaid”
Sitting on your side, bend your knees slightly. Put the top foot on the bottom. Place your palm exactly under your shoulder. Lift your hips off the floor and extend the body in a line. Pull your free hand forward over your ear. The balance on the palm and outside of the foot. Lower your hand, stretch your chin to your upper shoulder and begin to lower your hips to the floor. Hold a few centimeters from the floor. On a deep breath, straighten the body again in a line, extend the upper arm forward over the ear. Return to starting position. Repeat 3 times.
And what you know of effective exercises for a flat stomach? Please let us know with a comment.
