Yes here it is that time of year again and your body may not exactly be in the best shape. Winter brings the blues and the blahs and we tend to become bear-like and hibernate (especially if you happen to live in a tundra state where the weather is quite cold.) We all read about it, watch it on television and talk about doing it, but when push comes to shove, we hate to exercise! I did manage to find 2 great exercises to help your abs and your tush and I wanted to share it with you. Need to lose a few pounds before bathing suit weather? I just want my shorts to fit again. If you are middle aged, like myself and happen to be going through menopause, the hot flashes are not bad enough, then you wake up one day to find that the dryer shrunk all of your clothes and nothing fits. Why? The scale says you gained 20 pounds in a few months..but how can that be? Hormones...that's how. Tell me when does life get easier? Hopefully these exercises will make you feel better and assist you in firming up and dropping a few pounds along the way!
Most of the exercises making up an abs workout using an exercise ball will strengthen your back as well as your abdominal and other core muscles. An exercise ball is a piece of equipment that you will find at any gym. You can also buy them for home use. They are not expensive.
Exercise balls work by requiring you to use your muscles to balance or keep stable. Therefore they are also sometimes called stabilizing balls. The exercises may sound easy, like children's games, but if you try them you will find that a lot is required of your abs. If you do not feel this at once you probably will feel it the next day!
It is important to choose an exercise ball that is the right height for you. When you sit on it your feet must be flat on the floor, knees and hips forming right angles, thighs parallel to the ground. Before you begin your stabilization abs workout on the exercise ball, you should warm up the muscles of the back. This is easily done with a few minutes gentle exercise on a treadmill, exercise bike, elliptical trainer or simply walking or marching on the spot.
Abs Workout Stabilization Exercise 1:
Sit on the ball with feet flat on the floor. Keep your abdomen tight, including the deepest ab muscles that you can feel when you cough. Do the same number of reps for each exercise, starting with 10.
First, lift one heel, keeping toes on the floor, then the other.
Then lift one whole foot off the ground, keeping it flat, then the other (as if you were marching on the spot, but slowly).
Then raise and lower each arm in turn.
Finally, raise and lower each arm in turn while lifting the opposite foot off the floor (slow marching with arm movements).
Abs Workout Stabilization Exercise 2:
Lie with your stomach on the middle of the ball, hands flat on the floor, arms going straight down from the shoulders. Again keep the abdomen tight. Start with 5 reps of each.
First, walk forward on hands until the ball is under the thighs this will slowly begin tightening your tush muscles so don't over do it. Walk back to starting position and rest.
Then repeat walking forward on hands until the ball is under the thighs but this time stay there and slowly raise each arm in turn. Do the reps then walk back to starting position and rest.
Finally, repeat walking forward on hands until the ball is under the thighs, stay there and do push ups. Do not go too low at first. Do the reps then walk back to starting position and finish.
Cool down with some stretching, because the abdominal muscles and the muscles of your back and tush will be very tight after this back and abs workout on the exercise ball.
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