Occasionally, we grow weary of performing the same old planks or sit-ups to maintain our abdominal tone. To target your midsection and prepare your body for the beach, try these tough abdominal exercises that tone up your belly in place of these routine stomach-toning exercises. Along with paying attention to what you eat, you should also incorporate a range of exercises that will help to tone and tighten your stomach in order to reduce your waist size. Take a look below to discover some exercises that can help you lose a few pounds and get a beach-ready belly:
1. Corkscrew
Corkscrew is a Pilate’s exercise stabilises your hips and shoulders and strengthens neck and shoulders and abdominal and obliques muscles. Toning of obliques helps to create slim and defined waistline. This exercise activates your lower abs and to get this exercise right you must engage your abs in every move of this exercise. To do this exercise, lie straight on your back with your legs fully extended straight in front of you. Keep your hands on your sides with your palms facing down. Press your inner thighs and knees and raise your legs straight up facing the ceiling. Inhale and rotate your legs from left to down and bring your legs to right and up back to starting position. To make the workout more intense, pause for a moment in between every move.
2. Twists
Twist target your core muscles and fats stored in your tummy. Twists work on lower and upper abs and work on your obliques. To do the twists, sit on the exercise mat with your feet flat on the floor and knees bent. Take a dumbbell or a kettlebell in your hand and lean your back and tighten your core. Slowly lift your feet from the floor and twist your body on to one side and keeping your abs pulled in. Return back to starting position in a quick movement and twist your body on the other side. Follow 30 reps on each side. To make the exercise intense increase weights in dumbbells.
3. Air Swimming
Air swimming exercise not only targets your abs but also your back and shoulders as well. To do this exercise lie on your stomach with your legs to together and arms extended out. Your body should form a full swimming pose. Lift your left arm and right leg together while maintaining the position for 1 to 2 seconds and then switch to opposite arm and leg lift. Follow 10 reps on each side.
4. Standing Oblique Crunch
Include oblique crunches in your abs workout to target your love handles. To this exercise stand with feet shoulder width apart and take 5 pound dumbbell in your hand. Pull your left knee up and bring your elbows down on side crunch. Ensure that you do all of your body weight on your feet, follow 12 to 15 reps on each side. You can skip the dumbbells if you are a beginner and to make it intense, increase the weights.
5. Basic Crunches
Basic crunches are a complete abs strengthening exercise which engages your lower abs and core. To do this exercise, lie on your back and place your hands behind your head with your thumbs touching your ears. Keep your elbows out to your sides. Keep a slight distance between your chest and chin and pull your abs in. Curl up forward and lift your head, neck and shoulders off the floor. Hold the position for a moment and return back to starting position. While doing the crunches make sure that you keep your abs engaged and pulled in and do not over arch your lower back.
6. Pike And Extend
This exercise works on your abs and legs. To do this exercise, lie on your back and extend your left leg up in air. Raise your upper body as you would in the basic crunch. lauy back with your arms over your head and keep your leg extended above you. Alternate the sides and repeat the exercise 20 times on each side.
7. Side Bends
To do this exercise, stand straight with a dumbbell on your left hand and right hand placed on your waist. Keep your back and head straight, bend your waist to the right side. Keep your abs engaged and breathe in and return back to starting position as you breathe out. Repeat the movement on the other side and follow at least 20 reps on each side.
Source: GYM BUDDY
