Holiday Belly Busters
If all you want for Christmas is a set of great abs, then it’s
time for the Holiday Belly Busters.
A great set of abs has always been a fantasy for me. For
years my youthful estrogen-rich skin held in my belly so it appeared
toned. But as the years have passed with too many responsibilities
and too little time for exercising, my gut has just started pooching
out. Then menopause took the fat from my hips and thighs
and redirected it to my belly. I started looking three months pregnant. Ironic
isn’t it? I can no longer bear children yet I look
like I am carrying one. Just a couple of months ago on the
way to yoga class a teenager waiting for a bus smiled and asked
me, “When are you expecting?” Escaping a response
I ran into the nearest restroom locked myself in a stall and sobbed. Terrified
that this holiday filled with pumpkin pies and party cocktails
will only add another “month” to my waistline; it was
time for drastic action. Between age, menopause and holiday
food.... this mid-aged menopausal girl called in the Holiday Belly
Busters!
Benefits of a tone tummy
1. Better balance
and coordination
2. A healthy flexible spine
3. A sense of “feeling” better
4. Increased motivation
5. A strong support system for the muscles in your lower
back,
hips and pelvis
6. A more stable center of gravity
7. More shopping options
The abdomen consists of three main muscles groups:
1. Rectus abdominis is the large flat muscle wall that runs from
the lower chest to the pubic bone. Most of us refer to
this
muscle as our “abs”.
2. Oblique abdominis is the muscle that runs diagonally along the
side of the mid-section from the lower ribcage to the pubic area.
The internal obliques lie underneath the external obliques.
3. Transversus abdominis is the thin strip of muscle that runs
horizontally across the abdomen.
The Holiday Belly Busters is a series of three exercises that focus
on each muscle group. All you need is an area in your home
that gives you the space to lie down and 10 minutes.
The Holiday Belly Busters Program
- Three sessions
per week, with a “rest” day between
workouts
- 10 minutes per session
- 3 Belly Busting exercises that consist of 8
to 12 lifts per set
- 3 sets, with 60 seconds between each set.
The Holiday Belly Busters
Crunches
- Lie on your back on a mat or a carpet.
- Bend your knees with your
feet flat on the floor.
- Press your lower back to the floor.
- Place your hands behind your head. Do
not cross your fingers, lay one hand over the other.
- Lift your chest
to your pelvis. Do not tuck your chin to your chest.
- Keep your elbows
pointing outwards; do not wrap your arms around your head. Do
not pull on your head. Let
your abs lift you up.
- Exhale as you lift your chest upwards.
- Keep your lower back on the
floor.
- Contract your abdominal muscle as hard as you can and count
to 3.
- Return your shoulders to the floor, with your head still up.
- Repeat
this crunch for 8-12 repetitions.
The Bicycle
- Lie on your back.
- Press your lower back into the floor.
- Place your hands behind your
head, and do not cross your fingers.
- Bring your knees to a 45- degree
angle.
- Lift your shoulders off the floor, and do not pull on your
neck.
- Touch your right elbow to our left knee then repeat, as your
right leg extends.
- Switch sides, bringing the left elbow to the
right knee and the
left leg extended.
- Continue alternating sides
imitating a pedaling motion on a bicycle.
- Do 8-12 repetitions
Cross over crunches
- Lie on your back.
- Press your lower back towards the floor.
- Bend your right knee at
a 90- degree angle.
- Cross your left foot on top of your right bent
knee.
- Put your hands behind your head – one on top of the
other.
- Lift your shoulders up off the floor and twist so your right
elbow tries to touch your left knee.
- Hold for 2 seconds, squeeze
those abs.
- Return to start position.
- Do 8-12 reps.
- Then switch sides.
Repeat these three Belly Busters two more times.
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