Fortunately for the human race, we are a very adaptable species. We are able to adjust to new circumstances without many major lasting implications; we are able to condition our bodies to acclimatize to a variety of challenging and adverse conditions. It is what allows us to run marathons, and climb mountains; our adaptability is what has enabled us to continue to persevere and overcome adversity. These are miraculous feats that have resulted in our ultimate evolutionary success as a species. But when we are talking about modern day fitness goals, this amazing adaptability can be a major problem to overcome in order to continue making physical progress and achieving new results. Growing research indicates that the key to achieving fitness goals is through a variety of fitness strategies. It is important to mix up exercise routines regularly in order to keep making progress, surprising our muscles, pushing our limits, and avoiding a discouraging fitness plateau. Many fitness industry professionals recommend changing up a fitness routine every 5-7 weeks, though it can be different for each individual as there can be numerous attributing factors to a perceived fitness plateau. It is for this reason that we recommend a variety of fitness and exercise options in order to keep things fresh and mix it up. This can be especially true when looking for targeted fitness and cardio goals for ladies, particularly ab workouts for women. Perhaps the old saying still rings true — After all is said and done variety is still the spice of life.
In this case, here is a collection of a few excellent ab workouts for women taken from a variety of tried and true workout regimes and fitness disciplines.
Pilates:
While many people have tried are aware of the fitness system known as Pilates (named after its German-born developer Joseph Pilates), fewer people understand how it works or what makes it such a great ab workout for women and men. Pilates puts the focus on building flexibility and muscle endurance as well as emphasizing the importance of developing a strong core. In addition to being an excellent way to tone muscles including the abdominals, Pilates can also be helpful in balancing musculature, improving balance and alleviating back pain. While there are Pilates studios that use machines, there are also many isolated Pilates exercises that require no equipment at all. In fact, Pilates is an excellent fitness system to be used in tandem with and individual’s yoga practice. Another reason to add Pilates or some Pilates exercises to your fitness regimen is because it’s designed with all fitness levels in mind. This also means that it is a great strategy for continually challenging yourself with more difficult exercises as core strength is improved. Ab tip: when performing an exercise, focus on pulling your bellybutton inward towards to the spine. This will ensure that your core is as engaged as possible and is a secret to eventually achieving flatter looking abs.
Swimming:
We can all recognize and appreciate the notion of swimmer’s abs. The reality is they aren’t necessarily as unattainable as they initially may look. Swimming continues to be one of the most highly recommended forms of physical exercise by physicians and physiotherapists. It is a no-impact, aerobic workout that tones muscles while shredding calories and can be a great addition to any ab workout for women or men. To maximize the ab working benefits, try a combination of the freestyle swim (front breaststroke) and the butterfly swim. Just 10 minutes of freestyle swimming burns 100 calories. Ab Tip: Be sure to be consciously engaging your core in order to stabilize your body, keeping it as straight as possible and maximizing your speed.
Exercise/Fitness Ball
While it can be difficult to accommodate for gym equipment, a fitness ball can be a very worthwhile investment. Unlike expensive machinery and many other home-gym accessories, a fitness ball is an inexpensive alternative that delivers a big bang for small bucks. Fitness balls work by forcing the muscles of the body to work harder than they normally do during a typical flat-mat or floor exercise regimen. This is because the muscles have to respond to the instability of the ball. Exercise ball workouts deliver great ab workouts for women and men especially as many of the core-building exercises focus on working the especially tricky lower abdominal region. Ab tip: consider replacing your desk chair or office chair with an exercise ball to engage your core muscles all day long and improve overall posture and balance.
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