Kate Hudson showed up at the Golden Globe awards on January 10, 2016 with power house abs! It’s as if she knew I was going to write my blog this week on abdominal exercises and wanted to provide some visual inspiration! I mean – WOW!
So how do you get abs like Kate? OK, well it obviously is a combination of diet and exercise. However, I would like to think that the following exercises will help you get closer to your mid-section goal. As there are 8 abdominal muscles, I have listed my favorite 8 exercises. I realize that my descriptions may not be enough – or the exercises are easier to watch rather than read – so I have included some videos to view.
1) Windshield wipers – lie on your back and raise your legs straight up from your hips – so that your body forms an “L” shape. From here, keeping your upper body flat on your back tips your legs from one side to another – like windshield wipers!
2) Russian Twists – with or without medicine ball – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NeAtimSCxsY
3) Bicycle Crunches – http://www.wikihow.com/Do-Bicycle-Crunches
4) Mountain Climbers – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmwgirgXLYM
5) Good ‘ole fashioned PLANK! – http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/abdominalcorestrength1/qt/plank.htm
6) Side Bends with Dumbbells – Stand up and hold a dumbbell in one hand. Bend your side (the side holding the dumbbell) while lowering the weight closer to the floor. Using and contracting your opposite oblique muscles, straighten up to the starting position. Repeat 10-15 times, switch sides and repeat two more times.
7) Flutter Kicks – lie on your back and raise feet 1 foot off the floor. Simulate flutter kicking in water by alternating legs up and down – 30 times!
8) Leg Raises – lie on your back with legs straight up from your hips. Lower legs to 1 inch above the floor or until your lower back comes off the floor. Raise legs back up to starting position and repeat 20 times.
Having a strong core isn’t just to look fab in a bathing suit. You need a strong core to help you avoid injury, have better posture, and make everyday activities easier. The esthetics are just the bonus!
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