Are you feeling totally frustrated with trying to get a flatter stomach?
Are you pushed for time?
No matter how many sit ups you do, you’re still not seeing results?
Here’s our guide to getting a strong core and great abs in record time!
Exercises to improve core stability:
Draw in the abdominal muscles (think about your belly button pulling back towards your spine), hold for five breaths, and then relax. Repeat 10 times, 10 times a day. Every time you stop at a red light, do this exercise!
Practice Kegel exercises—drawing in the pelvic floor — to strengthen the lower end of your core (with the added bonus of better bladder control). You can feel your pelvic floor muscles if you try to stop the flow of urine when you go to the toilet. However, it is not recommended that you regularly stop your flow of urine midstream, because it can be harmful to the bladder.
To strengthen your pelvic floor muscles, sit comfortably and squeeze the muscles 10 to 15 times in a row. Do not hold your breath or tighten your stomach, buttock or thigh muscles at the same time.
When you get used to doing pelvic floor exercises, you can try holding each squeeze for a few seconds. Every week, you can add more squeezes, but be careful not to overdo it and always have a rest between sets of squeezes.
After a few months, you should start to notice the results. Your incontinence should improve, as well as the sensitivity you experience during sex. You should carry on doing the exercises, even when you notice them starting to work. Your core houses your organs, central nervous system plus your body’s largest (and most important) veins and arteries. Keeping strong core muscles will help ensure everything stays protected as you go about your daily activities. If your spinal cord is under pressure because it isn’t well supported by your core muscles, then it is going to affect your movements. It will eventually cause pain, and that will affect the quality of your life.
Back pain is a common side effect of a weak core. Sitting at a desk all day doesn’t help either. Not being mindful of how we’re sitting, and not engaging our core, can lead to things like compressed discs in our spine.
Many people make the mistake of sitting for long periods with a tilted pelvis and an arched back, rather than sitting tall on their “sit bones” (think about the boney part of your bum pointing straight down). To work your core at the office, try a stability ball rather than a traditional chair, because the sense of instability—and the movement it creates—forces your abdomen to stay engaged.
First, learn the difference between core stability and core strength .
Core stability refers to those deep internal muscles close to the spine.
Core strength is your ‘six pack’.
It’s important to build core stability first, and then build core strength.
Posture
Practice good posture when you’re in the car, by sitting up properly, and then adjusting the rear-view mirror accordingly. As soon as you start slumping, you’ll lose sight of yourself—and you’ll have to sit up tall again.
Now about that ‘six pack’
Once you’ve developed your core stability, you can start working on the more superficial core muscles to build strength you’ll be able to see.
Abdominal exercises have really moved on since the sit up! Exercises like the plank, bridge and standing abdominal moves are just brilliant for this. It is about working from the inside out.
Just because you’re strong, it doesn’t mean you have a strong core. It’s really something everyone can work on.
Our Hardcore Abs in 30mins 4 week course starts 15th March. Sign up Now!
