Waistline Exercises
Although the idea has been scientifically discredited, many people still believe in what the fitness world calls "spot reduction"--exercises to reduce fat deposits in specific parts of the body. But no matter how many abdominal crunches you do, your waistline will shrink only as you lose fat throughout your entire body. However, there are abdominal exercises that will make your waistline tauter and generally better-looking.
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Basics
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Beyond losing fat, the only control you have over your waistline lies in working out the muscles that control it, especially the abdominal muscles, or abs for short. The abs are, of course, involved in just about any movement of the body: bends, lifts, twists, sitting, standing, turning, jumping, running. They also support the back. Not surprisingly, the abs are a crucial, powerful and complex muscular group that should be worked out carefully and regularly with a variety of exercises.
Choices
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Use a variety of exercises to work out the muscles around your waist and change your routine every once in a while to keep your muscles from getting too used to the exercises, which dramatically cuts down on their effectiveness. Trainers are forever inventing new routines to keep ab workouts fresh and effective. But all are designed to cover three basic areas: the upper abs, the lower abs and the obliques.
Method
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Initially choose four or five exercises, making sure your selection is intended to work both your upper and lower abs, as well as your right and left obliques. Stick to the exercises for about six weeks. During that period, as you feel your abs getting used to the routine, alter the order in which you perform the exercises, as well as their position in your overall exercise routine. After six weeks, try to adopt an entirely new routine, perhaps one involving not only new but more exercises.
Suggestions
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A good, safe starter routine might kick off with regular crunches. To perform these, begin by lying on your back with your knees bent and your hands crossed over your chest. Lift your shoulders off the floor and draw them toward your knees as much as you can. Hold that contracted position for a second or two and then gently return to your starting position. Repeat as often as you can. Soon you should be able to do a set of at least 25 without much difficulty. Rest for a minute and then repeat the set. After another rest, do a final, third set.
To work your lower abs, perform a reverse crunch. In the same lying position as before, lift your feet so that your calves are parallel to the floor, then draw your knees toward your chest. Try to lift your hips off the floor as you do this and you will get a better contraction. Hold the position and then return to the initial position.
For your obliques, lie as if you were going to perform normal crunches, but place one hand behind your head. Without pulling on your head, raise and turn your torso, as if in an attempt to bring your elbow to the opposite knee. After a set of repetitions, switch elbows and exercise your other side. Repeat the set twice more.
As you progress, intensify your routine by adding repetitions, sets and exercises. Crunches performed by stretching your arms and trying to push your clasped hands between your raised knees tend to produce tighter contractions. For a more difficult lower ab exercise, lie on your back, place your palms flat on either side and point your toes at the ceiling. Then repeatedly thrust your hips upward.
For an exercise that simultaneously works all the abdominal muscles, with particular stress on the obliques, lie on your back, touch your hands to your ears and crunch while simultaneously drawing a knee in toward you and twisting to bring the opposite elbow toward it. Alternate sides in quick succession. After each repetition, rest your feet back on the mat. Keeping your legs suspended while pumping your knees in and out is not advised because it could stress your back.
Remember that just about all exercise, even walking and running, also works your waistline--and helps you lose fat there. You should not exercise your waistline alone, excluding other body parts. If the waistline is your main area of concern, begin your general workouts with ab exercises because the first body part exercised in any routine tends to be the one that gets the most benefit. Don't over strain your abs because you'll need their support as you work out your other body parts.
Considerations
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Whatever ab exercise routine you adopt, make sure it does not place undue stress on your lower back, which is vulnerable to repetitive-motion injury. Stay away from old-fashioned sit-ups and leg lifts. These are rarely used now because they were found to exact too heavy a price on the back. Any ab exercise during which your lower back lifts off the mat is shifting the workload to your back and leg muscles and should be avoided. Standing twists, though meant to hit your obliques, also tend to place undue stress on your spine and are not recommended.
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