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Getting Tough With ab Muscles
The stomach muscles are often some of the weakest in women's body and we
tend to make up for this fact by letting the back take all the strain. The end
result being - our backs end up hunched, tense, overarched, presenting a risk
for lower back pain.
Here are few excellent exercises to build a trim torso:
Side Stretches: Keeping your feet hip width- apart and slightly
turned out, lift your arms above your head and clasp your hands together,
keeping your shoulders dropped. Now, in a smooth movement, looking straight
ahead, drop down on to the left, bending from the waist. Try to get low enough
for your arms to be parallel with the floor. Slowly come back to the centre and
repeat on the right. Do at least 6- 10 drops each side.
 Torso
Twists: While performing this exercise keep in mind that it is only the
waist and upper body that turn- the hips stay absolutely still and facing the
front. Begin by standing on your feet hip-width apart, feet slightly turned out
and knee bent. Rest your hands lightly on your shoulder, elbows pointing
straight out. Feel your back straight and your tail-bone dropping down towards
the floor. Turn from the waist to look over your left shoulder. Do 16 turns
slowly, feeling the stretch and the repeat to the right.
Upper-body Circle: Here comes a complex version of Torso Twists
exercise. To begin with stand with your feet hip-width apart and slightly turned
out, your arms raised, shoulders down and hands clasped. Drop down to the left
until your arms are parallel to the floor, feeling the stretch all the way up
your right side. Hold the stretch for a second and then turn slowly so that you
are looking down on the floor, keep your body on the same level. This calls for
a lot of work from the stomach muscles. Slowly lift back so that you are facing
forward again and then straighten up. Build this up to 4-6 times on each side.
Roll-Ups: This exercise is a series of movement that build up in
difficulty, so start with the first one and only go on to the later ones as your
muscles strengthen.
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Lie on the floor with your leg stretched out and your arms at your side,
palms facing upwards. Pull your stomach muscles back into the floor, tighten
your buttock muscles under you at the same time. This will cause your knees
to bend slightly and your pelvis to tilt. Repeat 8 times.
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 In
the second stage, repeat the pelvic tilt, this time moving your upper body
off the floor, arms outstretched and parallel to the floor. Your head should
come up last. Do not raise yourself far enough to make your stomach bulge or
your shoulders tense. Repeat 6-8 times.
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In the third phase, you begin as before and continue to raise your upper
body until you are sitting straight up, arms stretched out in front, head
and neck in long line with your spine.
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Now drop your head forward onto your chest and roll back down through
the spine, holding on a tight to the stomach muscles. Try to feel your back
go down, vertebra by vertebra, lengthening out on the floor. Repeat 6 times
or till muscle fatigue.
Rope Climbing: This is quite a tough exercise for the abdominal muscles,
so don't try it until you can do the first four exercises comfortably. Start by
lying on your back on the floor. Contract your stomach muscles so that you start
to roll up until you are about halfway to a sitting position, knees bent, arms
outstretched in front of you. Loosely clench you fists, then raise one arm above
your head. Lower this arm again and, as you do so, raise the other one. This
movement looks as if you are pulling on a rope. If the stomach muscles start to
bulge out or quiver, stop. Repeat for 8 pulls.
 Crossed
Fists: This is a continuation of the previous exercise - and another very
tough one!
Start by lying on your back on the floor. Contract your stomach
muscles so that you start to roll up until you are about halfway to a sitting
position, knees bent, arms outstretched in front of you. With your hands in
loose fists, cross and re-cross one above the other, raising your arms at the
same time until they are reaching straight upwards. Make sure you don't tense
your neck or shoulders as you do this. When you reach the top, reverse and come
down in four crosses. Repeat the whole sequence 4 times up and down.
Scissors: Another tough one for the abdominals! If you're not ready for
this, the small of your back will come off the floor - in which case, stop.
Remember, the lower the legs, the harder the exercise. Lie flat on the floor,
arms by your side, then bend your knees into your chest and stretch your legs
outwards. With your fingers resting just behind your ears, lift your head and
shoulders off the ground and look up at your legs. Pull your stomach well in and
if the exertion is too great raise your legs, crossing them at the ankles, 16
times.
NOTE: If your stomach muscles begin to bulge or quiver at any time during
these exercises- just stop for you are doing something that is beyond them. Also
when lying on the back, the lower your legs are towards the floor the more
strain you will be putting on the stomach; lift them higher and the exercise
will instantly become easier. When you are performing these exercises- try to
think of the stomach muscles providing a natural girdle, keeping the body lifted
in a well-held posture.
The key to seek prominent results is, consistency. Practicing these
exercises, slowly 5-6 times a week will show you considerable results.
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