Pilate for Abs- No more Crunches required to Tone Your Abs
How many times have you dreamed of a tighter, flatter stomach? How many sit-ups have you done in your lifetime? Are you ready to try something new? Pilates training sessions focus a great deal on the muscles surrounding the abdominal area.And since the program works deeply into the core muscles of the body, the result are longer, tighter muscles and a leaner, flatter you. If other exercises have not given you the results you are looking for, Pilates for abs might be worth a try.
Pilates exercises for abs, or as they are really known, abdominals, are the best abs workout for your waistline.
Getting Started with Pilates for Abs
The good news about Pilates for your abs is that mat classes can be easy to find and fairly economical. There is also a host of good videos and DVD’s that can teach you the basic principles of Pilates and get you started on a program. Many of the Pilates exercises for abs can be done with basic mat exercises. The key to this program is to focus on quality of movements instead of quantity of repetitions. So instead of 50 sit-ups in a routine, you may only do a dozen repetitions of particular exercises. While it may seem that you are not working these muscles as hard, rest assured that the work you are doing is more precise and hitting deeper muscles than many other exercises you might have tried in the past.
Pilates Equipment for Abs
If you would like to intensify your workout for maximum results, resistance bands or a Pilates ball can add exercises to your regimen to keep it interesting.
The Pilates ball specifically will work your abs with Pilates exercises, as well as improve your balance, coordination and concentration. The Pilates ball is a mainstay at most studios and fitness centers, and can be purchased for home use for around $30. It comes in three sizes to accommodate the size of the users.
Pilates bands can add resistance to some of the mat exercises that you might already be doing to intensify the effects of those motions as well. These bands come in two different resistance strengths, and can be purchased for $5- 10. The great thing about the resistance bands is that they are versatile and completely portable, so you can take them with you anywhere to keep up on your workouts.
Pilates Exercises for Abs
Here are five exercises that tone the abs. There are many more, and Pilates is meant to be done in one smooth-flowing sequence, but to get the feel for it, you can work on these.
- The Hundred -- Lie on your back with your knees above your chest and extend your arms at your sides. Now lift your chin and chest slightly, so you're up on your shoulder blades and raise your legs upward. Lift your arms 6 inches and quickly pump them up and down five times while exhaling . Now inhale, pumping your arms five times. Repeat 10 times to make 100 pumps. Sound easy? Just try it!
- The Roll-Up – or "roll-DOWN", since that's the important part of this exercise. Sit with your legs straight and your arms in front of you (see photo). Holding your abs in, slowly roll all the way down, feeling each vertebra press into the mat. until you're lying flat, being careful not to let your feet pop up. Now raise your arms above your chest and slowly roll your torso up and forward, tightening your stomach, until you're back to the starting position. Reach your fingers out beyond your toes (or as far as you can) and roll down again. Do five to ten of these.
- Rolling Like a Ball -- Fun AND effective! Sit up and pull your ankles in toward your buttocks, wrapping your hands around them. Bring your head toward your knees and lift your feet off the mat so that you're balancing on your tailbone. Tighten your tummy and slowly roll backward just until your shoulders touch the mat -- be careful not to roll on your neck. Immediately roll back up -- like a ball!. Do five of these.
- The Teaser -- Lie flat on your back with your legs straight out and arms on the mat, stretched straight up over your head. Lift your legs up while raising both arms overhead until your fingers are pointing at your toes (see photo). Exhale and slowly roll back down, feeling each vertebra press into the mat, back to the starting position. Repeat three times. This is HARD at first.
- Crisscrosses -- With your head slightly raised, bring your knees to your chest and place your hands gently behind your head (don't interlace your fingers). Inhale and slowly twist to the right, bringing your left elbow to your right knee while extending your right leg (see photo). Hold this long enough to exhale. Now inhale and return to the starting position. Repeat, bringing your right elbow to your left knee. Do five sets (ten crisscrosses total).
Summary :
Pilate for abs will not only tone your abs but you will see in how your abs look, stronger abdominal muscles also provide better support for the lower back. That can mean less aches and pains from lifting, carrying and even sitting in front of your computer. So when do you want to start seeing leaner abs on your own body? Give Pilates for abs a go, and see where the results lead you.
