Trim Belly Fat

Saturday, March 13, 2010|

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Trim Belly Fat Workout

Tips :

The most effective workouts include these three elements:
1. Cardiovascular exercise to burn fat and condition your heart.
2. Strength training to keep muscles firmed and toned. The more muscle, the better your metabolism works.
3. Stretching to keep muscles supple, increase range of motion of joints, enhance flexibility, and improve coordination. (It becomes more important as you age because muscles become less flexible.) Stretch for five to seven minutes before and after exercising to prevent injury.

Ab, Belly, and Tummy Exercise 1: Seated Side Stretch

Target: Oblique muscles along your sides

Step 1: Sit with your legs crossed. Extend your spine from your tailbone through the crown of your head. Inhale as you lift your left arm over your head and to the right. Exhale as you reach and bend to the right, feeling the stretch along the left side of your body. Hold for 5 seconds

Step 2: Straighten up, then repeat on the other side. Continue to switch sides until you've stretched four times on each side.

Exercise 2: Pilates Beginner Roll-Up

Step 1: Lie on your back with your arms at your sides and your knees bent. Inhale. Exhale as you bring your arms forward toward your knees. Engage your abdominal muscles and squeeze your inner thighs together to lift your shoulders, bringing your ribs closer to your hips. As you roll up, let the movement come from your tummy, not from momentum. Keep your chin to your chest as you roll up to a sitting position.

Step 2: Sit tall; check that your abdominal muscles are pulled in toward your spine as you inhale. Exhale and roll back to the starting position, using your abdominals throughout the movement. Try to feel every single vertebra touch the floor, one at a time, as you roll back down. Complete three roll-ups.

Tip: If needed, grab your thighs lightly with your hands to get yourself past any sticking points.

Exercise 3: Tummy Firmer

Target: Lower abdominal muscles

Step 1: Lie on your back. Place your hands on either side of your hips, palms facing down. Lift your legs, bending your knees in a 45-degree angle.

Step 2: Flatten your shoulders against the floor and draw your abdominals in and up toward your spine. As you exhale, curl your tailbone up, lifting through your lower tummy. Inhale as you lower. Repeat three to five times.

Tip: If needed, grab your thighs lightly with your hands to get yourself past any sticking points.

Exercise 4: Straight-Leg Crunch

Target: The entire midsection

Step 1: Lie on your back. Place your hands behind your head with your elbows out to the sides. Bend your left knee and place your left foot on the floor. Extend your right leg.

Step 2: Flatten your back against the floor and draw your abdominals in and up toward your spine. Exhale as you crunch your head and shoulders up, reaching out through the bottom of the extended leg as you do so. Inhale and lower and repeat 10-15 times. Repeat with the left leg extended and right leg bent.

Exercise 5: Low Hover

Target: Transverse abdominis, a deep muscle that keeps the belly flat

Step 1: Kneel. Place your forearms on the floor, clasping your hands together. Bring your body weight onto your forearms and straighten your legs. Hold for 30 seconds.

Step 2: Bend your right knee, bringing it toward the floor but not putting any weight on it. Raise it back up and bend your left knee. Alternate left and right for one minute

Exercise 6: Pilates Beginner T-Stand

Target: Obliques and shoulders

Step 1: Sit with your right leg extended to the side and your left foot tucked in toward your groin. Place your left hand on the floor beside your buttock.

Step 2: Inhale and use your abdominals to lift your right hip from the floor toward the ceiling, sweeping your right arm up toward the ceiling.

Step 3: Exhale as you slowly sweep your right arm forward, extending through your waist and back. Reach your right hand under your body. Feel your upper back open up, fanning open your upper rib cage. Then inhale and use your abs to unfold and lift your torso to the starting position. Repeat two more times, then repeat three times on the opposite side.

Exercise 7: Torso Trimmer

Target: Oblique or side muscles

Step 1: Sit with your knees bent and toes touching the floor. Place your fingertips on the floor by your sides.

Step 2: Lower your knees to the floor to the left. Bring them back to center and then lower them to the right. Continue alternating right and left for one minute.

Exercise 8: Seated Chest Stretch

Target: Pectoral muscles

Step 1: Sit with your legs crossed.

Step 2: Lift up through your breastbone as you reach your arms behind you, pressing your fingertips into the floor behind your buttocks to feel a stretch in your chest. Hold it for 15 seconds. Release.