Thursday, February 9, 2012

Belly fat

I wanted to share some exercises from an article from All You magazine here. The link's there < if you want to check it out in it's entirety. I just thought it might be easier to see it all laid out on one page here.

Belly fat is one of my bigger issues on my health journey. I have quite a bit of it, so I love coming across articles like this with exercises to target that area.

All you need is a flat surface and a broomstick. The article suggests doing these five exercise three times a week. I think I'm going to start doing this and then supplementing the other two days with a cardio/toning workout and maybe try to get a half hour walk in each day, or at least some other form of exercise.
I keep telling you guys I hate running, and I really do...but I wish I didn't. I'm always so impressed and amazed by runners. I just wish I had it in me to do it. Maybe if I had some really good running shoes and a REALLY good running bra, I'd give it a try....or not.

anywho, here are the exercises:

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1. BELLY BLASTER: Windshield wiper

1Lie on your back with your arms out to the side and knees bent. Keep your knees together, feet lifted and shoulders firmly on the floor while you rotate your knees to the right, then lower them toward the floor. Return knees to center and rotate them to the left. Return to center. Do 10 touches on each side, working your way up to 20.

2. BELLY BLASTER: The vacuum


Lie flat on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Take a deep breath that noticeably extends your belly. Exhale all the air out and pull your belly button in toward your spine―as if your stomach and lower back could meet. Tighten your abdominal muscles. Hold for 2 seconds, then relax your abdominal muscles and breathe normally. Repeat 10 times.

3. BELLY BLASTER: Broomstick lifts


Holding a broomstick, lie on the floor with your legs and arms extended, palms facing the ceiling. Lift the broom off the floor over your head, coming to a seated position, as you bend and lift your knees until your calves are parallel to the floor. Bring the broomstick to your knees (or as far as you can go). Hold for 2 seconds, then return to start. Repeat 10 times. Work your way up to 20.

4. BELLY BLASTER: The plank


Lie on your stomach and rest on your forearms. Lift your body off the ground so your weight is resting on your elbows and toes. Keep your abs tight and try to make a straight line from your head to heels. Hold for 15 seconds, rest and repeat three times. Over time, increase the hold in five-second increments until you've worked up to a full minute.

5. BELLY BLASTER: Torso twists

Sitting with your knees bent, feet on floor and hands on your hips, draw your abdominals in. Lean back slightly and soften your back, making a slight C-shape with your torso. (The farther you lean back, the more challenging the exercise.) Next, rotate your entire torso (not just your shoulders), starting at your hips, to your right side. Return to the center, then turn to the left. Return to center and repeat for 20 to 30 seconds.


I think I definitely need to plan more. My meals, my snacks, my exercise routine...everything. Without a plan, I'm just not getting it done.

1 comment:

Gwennaëlle said...

I love it but I am not sure it can do any good in my case. I have strong belly muscles but I also have this nasty belly that I have always had since I was a child.