10-minute tummy-toning workout
(YOU CAN DO IT IN FRONT OF THE TV SO NO EXCUSES!)
THE PLANK
Lie face down on the floor resting on your forearms. Slowly push off the floor, rising up onto your toes and resting on your elbows. Make sure that your back remains flat, in a straight line from head to heels, and contract your abdominals to prevent your bottom from sticking up in the air. Hold for 30 seconds, relax down and repeat 2-3 times.
LYING DOUBLE LEG RAISES
LIE ON YOUR SIDE WITH LEGS STRAIGHT, TOES POINTED. PULL IN YOUR STOMACH THEN LIFT BOTH LEGS A FEW INCHES OFF THE GROUND AND SLOWLY LOWER DOWN. TRY NOT TO
BEND AT THE WAIST. IMAGINE YOUR BELLY BUTTON PRESSING INTO YOUR SPINE TO WORK DEEP ABDOMINALS. TRY 12 ON EACH SIDE.
ROLL-UP
Sit on the floor with legs bent in front of you and feet flat on the floor. Rest hands on the backs of your thighs. Pull your stomach in and slowly roll back towards the floor, stopping after a few inches. Hold for 10 seconds, keeping your tummy pulled in. Repeat, moving a little further towards the floor. Keep going until a) your feet come off the floor, or b) you start to shake, or c) you feel anything in your lower back. Repeat this whole exercise 3 times.
STRAIGHT LEG FLUTTER KICK LIE ON YOUR BACK WITH YOUR HANDS UNDER YOUR BUTTOCKS AND BOTH FEET 6IN OFF THE GROUND. KEEPING YOUR LEGS STRAIGHT, KICK YOUR FEET IN A FLUTTER-KICK MOTION FOR A COUNT OF
30. REST FOR 30 SECONDS AND REPEAT.
CRISS CROSS
Lie on your back with legs bent, arms folded behind your head. Curl forward before extending your left leg out in front of you, then keeping elbows wide, rotate torso towards the bent right knee, so your left armpit is reaching towards the knee. Switch sides and extend the right leg, rotating your upper body towards the left knee. Do a total of 20 (10 on each side).
EXERCISE ADD-ONS
HAVE FUN WITH
A HULA HOOP
IT’S NOT ONLY A GREAT LAUGH BUT REALLY TARGETS THE WAIST. CHOOSE A HOOP THAT REACHES YOUR WAIST OR CHEST WHEN YOU PUT IT ON ITS SIDE; LARGER ONES ARE EASIER TO USE BECAUSE THEY SPIN MORE SLOWLY. PUT ONE FOOT IN FRONT OF THE OTHER FOR BALANCE. THEN GRIP THE HOOP FIRMLY AND RELAX IT AGAINST ONE SIDE OF YOUR TORSO.
NOW SPIN: IF YOU’RE RIGHTHANDED GO ANTI-CLOCKWISE; VICE VERSA IF YOU’RE A LEFTY. KEEP MOVING YOUR WAIST IN A CIRCULAR MOTION AS YOU LET GO AND AIM TO GET THE HOOP TO WRAP ITSELF AROUND YOUR WAIST.
YOU’LL DROP IT AT FIRST BUT AS YOU GET BETTER, MANOEUVRE THE HOOP UP AND DOWN THE COLUMN OF YOUR WAIST AREA. WHEN YOU FEEL YOUR OBLIQUE MUSCLES KICKING IN YOU
ARE STARTING TO HAVE SOME EFFECT ON BURNING EXCESS FAT.
HOLD THAT TUMMY IN
WHILE YOU VACUUM
YOU’LL BE WORKING THE ABDOMINAL MUSCLES YOU CAN’T SEE… YOUR TRANSVERSUS ABDOMINIS LIES BENEATH THE FRONT RECTUS ABDOMINIS AND FLATTENS YOUR WAISTLINE WHEN YOU PULL IN YOUR TUMMY.
IF YOU ONLY DO THIS WHEN YOU’RE VACUUMING THE FLOOR, IT’LL MAKE A DIFFERENCE: PULL YOUR BELLY BUTTON TOWARD YOUR SPINE AND HOLD FOR 10 SECONDS WHILE BREATHING NORMALLY. RELEASE, THEN REPEAT 5 TIMES. TRY TO DO THIS MOVE AS OFTEN AS POSSIBLE THROUGHOUT THE DAY – SITTING AT YOUR DESK, MAKING A COFFEE… W&H