Using Resistance Bands In Stomach Exercises

Using resistance bands can be an effective component of any workout routine, and stomach exercises are no exception. There are a number of exercises targeting the midsection that incorporate resistance bands. Resistance bands come in a variety of difficulties, usually indicated by the color of the band itself (e.g., green can be little resistance, yellow may be medium, red for difficult, etc.). Choose a resistance level that is appropriate for you, then move up as necessary. Do not overdo it by immediately grabbing the most advanced band you can find, as this can lead to injury. As with any workout routine, be sure to consult a professional before beginning and always warm up properly to avoid injury.

Seated Crunch This exercise provides the same benefits as the basic abdominal crunch, but with less neck strain and without the possible discomfort that comes with lying on the floor, since it uses a band rather than gravity to provide resistance. For this stomach exercise, you will need to be sitting in a straight back chair which you can somehow loop your band through. Sit up straight with your feet flat on the floor and about as wide apart as your hips. Contract your abdominal muscles, and slowly bend forward to about a forty-five degree angle. Repeat for an entire set. Be sure to keep your feet on the floor and your back as straight as possible. One-Arm Band Pull Put the chair away and stand up, again with feet hip width apart. Put your hands above your head, holding the band about eighteen inches apart. Keeping your left hand overhead, bring your right hand out to the side, elbow bent at about a ninety degree angle. Hold your left arm still as you contract your abdominals and lower your right arm until your hand is in line with your chest. Hold this position, then slowly return. Repeat for an entire set, then switch hands. Keep your back straight and avoid bending or leaning at the waist. For an additional challenge, do this exercise standing on one foot. Perform the exercise with both hands while standing on your left foot, then do it all again on your right foot.

Twisting Roll-Back For this stomach exercise, you will need to sit on a flat surface, preferably the floor. Use a mat or towel for cushioning to ease possible strain on your tail bone. Sit down with your legs bent and heels on the floor. Your toes should be pointing up-- do not put your feet flat on the floor. Loop the band around your feet, put one end in each hand and put your hands together. In a rolling motion, lower your torso toward the floor about forty-five degrees. As you do this, twist to the right and spread your hands to the sides. Hold for a second, then rotate back to the middle and raise your torso back to start. Your heels should remain on the floor throughout the exercise. Do a full set, then switch to the left side.

Why Do People Do Exercises For The Stomach

Exercises for the stomach muscles are among the most popular type of exercise done among people wanting to build a better body. When anyone plans a workout program to build and strengthen muscles, abdominal workouts are always included in the routine. Why is this? Why are more people concerned with their stomach muscles then any other part of their body?

There are several reasons for this. The first reason should be for health reasons. It has been documented that people carrying around a lot of extra fat around their stomachs are at a greater risk of certain health conditions then people that may be carrying the weight in other areas of their body. This reason alone is enough to entice many people to exercise their stomach, and a major reason why doctors suggest doing exercises for the stomach.

The stomach is the core of the person's body, when the stomach is strong; it helps make the rest of the body look and feel stronger. This is another reason to do exercises for the stomach. Most people want to feel strong and be strong, whether it is so they can do their jobs, play with their children or just to feel better about themselves. Also, when the stomach is strong, it helps to take away pressure from several muscles in a person's back. Considering that back problems are a big problem with many people, this is another good reason to keep the stomach muscles strong by exercising them.

The next reason, and usually the biggest reason are looks. People tend to think that a good looking stomach equals an overall good looking body. There are not too many people that find a bulging stomach attractive. When people look in the mirror, or someone passes by them that they want to impress, usually a natural reaction is to suck in their stomach.

Women that have just had a baby are usually extra concerned with their stomach muscles, and find themselves wanting to do exercises for the stomach as soon as they are able to. This is not only for appearance sake but also for health reasons since their stomach muscles really need to be strengthened after their bodies have been put through childbirth.

Health and looks are the primary reasons to do exercises for the stomach, but people have many different reasons motivating them to actually do exercises for the stomach. Perhaps swimsuit season is coming up, which is usually the time most people really get interested in doing exercises for the stomach and they just want to look their best.

Maybe a high school reunion is coming up and a person wants to look extra good, or a person is getting married which is another very popular time for wanting to tone up stomach muscles. Maybe their doctor has told them they need to or maybe it is just to have more self confidence in them. No matter the reason may be, as long as the person is motivated enough to continue their program until they see results then the reason is a good one.

Different Exercises To Get A Flat Stomach

There are many different exercises to get a flat stomach. Some require machines or special equipment; others simply require a floor to lie on and a little motivation and determination. There are some that are performed while also exercising other groups of muscles such as in Pilate's moves, where every exercise will work the stomach muscles even if the focus is the legs, arms or other area of the body.

There are a couple of movements that are very basic and yet give many people the results they are looking for. The first movement is the basic crunch. These exercises are better for the body then sit ups because they do not strain the back as much. A crunch is performed simply by lying on your back and raising the upper portion of your body a few inches off the ground, just enough to feel the strain in the stomach muscles. The key to these movements is to be sure your stomach is doing the work and not your head, or arms. Also, it is important to keep everything straight, do not lift the head more then the shoulders or back, for more information and detail on performing this movement properly there are many resources available on the internet, in books and also in videos. Another movement which is also great and should be done in conjunction with the basic crunch is a side crunch which works the oblique, or as some people call them "love handles" This exercises are performed the same way as the crunch, only the body is twisted slightly to one side. Again to get a more accurate description of how to properly perform this movement there are many resources available.

Along with working out the mid section of the stomach and sides, a person should include several different exercises to get a flat stomach by way of exercising the whole stomach, which includes the lower section and upper section of their stomach as well. It will do a person no good to only focus on one specific muscle group of their stomach. There are many places to find exercises to get a flat stomach including the internet, library, book store and in videos. With so many different options a person may have trouble deciding which exercises would benefit them the most while trying to get a flat stomach. The best suggestion in this case is to try several different ones and decide what works for the individual. One exercise may work great for one person, but be too strenuous for another. Or, one person may be in better shape and be able to do several different exercises that a beginner can not do, at least in the beginning and may just need to concentrate on one movement, instead of a series of different movements in one workout session.

While some exercises to get a flat stomach may work better then others, no exercise will work if not properly performed and done regularly. A person should decide which exercises they are both capable of doing and also can do for an extended period of time while working to get the flat stomach they want. If they exercise is too complicated, takes too much time or can only be done on a special type of equipment, the person may not be able to stick with it long term. Remember, getting a flat stomach will not happen overnight, it takes time, dedication and patience, regardless of the exercise used.

Why You Can't 'spot Reduce_

People have problem areas. Even people, who have achieved their ideal body weight, will still have problem areas. It could be the love handles, the flabby arms, the sagging skin or the hips. Then you will find the market offering all sorts of products, from creams and applications to get rid of the fats to gadgets and machines to tone the arms, thighs or the abs.

However, there is one reality check you have to make. You cannot spot reduce. The attempt to do so is not going to work and it will not be for your good.

Why Can't I Spot Reduce?

The market misinforms the public of the benefits that can be expected from their so-called revolutionary products when in fact there really are no revolutionary results to look forward to.

1. Healthy Diet Is Important Diet is an important element to get rid of the undesirable body fats. The foods that you eat have calories and cholesterols that get stored in your body, probably amassing on those problem areas of yours. The diet is the main culprit for presence of fats.

So no matter how much you depend on those gadgets in the market, it will remain defenseless if you keep indulging in sweets, fatty foods or junk foods.

2. Spot Reduction Is a Mere Myth It is not healthy to believe what those people say about the productivity of spot reduction efforts. The products you see on the market require nothing but merely attach or apply them on the problem areas. What about your other body parts? What about the other requirements of the body?

In any healthy endeavors, you must be on the top of your physiology. You should know what it takes to achieve a goal. For example, if you want six-packs in your stomach, you have to know what it takes to get them.

Some people out there would claim that if you want to improve the look of your stomach, you simply have to concentrate on abdominal exercises or use the gadgets that will do the exercise for you. Again, you cannot spot reduce. You cannot achieve the goal with simply doing that one abdominal exercise.

The fat can not just come off on its own by just using a gadget. Genetics has to do with it. Diet has to do with it. Lifestyle has to do with it.

The truth is, before you can even aim for the six-packs on the stomach, you will have to take away the fats first. So doing 500 crunches a day will only exhaust you but it will not get rid of those fats. Your body will not burn the fats stored in that spot you are targeting. Actual workouts can actually address this. With this, the fats are burned one at a time, and not just in one area. It has a more integrated system of reducing the fats in the body.

Then you will also have to gain body mass. At this point, the only way you can only get rid of the fats and get some body mass is to have a healthy diet and do cardio exercises.

Only after surpassing the diet and cardio requirements can you focus on the abdominal exercises. This is the only proper time to really focus on working out for the six-packs.

3. There Are No Shortcuts Miracle diets, pills and potions are mere shortcuts that will lead you to a dead end. If a healthy body is aimed, you have to work for it. You have to earn it.

We truly are living in a fast world with the advancement of technology, but your body still is very much natural. Thus you will still have to be grounded to what is naturally required by the body, healthy diet, regular exercise and considerable amount of time to develop that desirable state.

4. Health and Fitness Require Commitment Your dedication to the health of your body is a lifelong commitment. Even if you achieved a good body now, it will not remain so forever if you abuse on your diet and lifestyle. It needs to be loved and taken care of, regularly.

That is why if you will depend on the spot reduction claims, it will really bring you nowhere. You can only hope, but you cannot expect. So if you aim for the healthy body; get an exercise program for your self and make some changes in your diet. Give your self a holistic development. Improve not only the body, but your outlook in life as well.

Do It the Proper Way

With all these points raised, the bottom line is to simply get healthy the proper way. The saying still holds true. No pain, no gain. So do not be a victim of the misleading information and empty promises thrown upon you. Simply know the proper options. Take the matter into your own hands and enjoy the benefits of a healthy body.

Yoga For Women_ How To Gain A Shapely Waist Through Yoga

The size of the waist is an indication of overall fitness for many people. Most health experts agree that a smaller waist is healthier than a big one. The reasoning behind this is that increases in fat around the waist usually result in increased health risks such as diabetes, high cholesterol and blood pressure.

In evolutionary and biological terms, a small waist signifies youth and vitality. But doing endless workouts of crunches alone will not allow you to achieve that Venus-like waist of your dreams. You will need to supplement specific waist-orientated exercises with ones from various disciplines.

Specifically you will need to work the inner girdle of muscles - commonly known as the core muscles - with slow abdominal exercises that work very deep into these muscle groups.

While usually associated with building flexibility, some specific exercises from yoga-based workouts also target the underlying core muscles around the waist.

When To Do Stomach Exercises

There is no question, people want flatter stomachs. Whether it is a woman who just had a baby, or a man who wants to impress someone, or anyone in between. While most people have good intentions when it comes to building their 'six pack" not as many people can find the time or dedication to really follow through to see real results, and usually give up. To remedy the problem there are several ideas that can help a person wanting to get a flatter stomach but cannot find the time or energy to do intense stomach exercises.

For as many people that want to do stomach exercises, there are just as many people, probably more, that like to watch television. This is a perfect time to do stomach exercises. During commercials, or every ten minutes if there are no commercials, try lying on the floor and doing as many stomach exercises as possible during the break. If you have not done stomach exercises in awhile, it is best to start slowly, but eventually make it a game, and try to get more repetitions in each time. By following this simple plan, it will help your body in several different ways. First of all, there is no extra scheduling involved, for most people, watching television at some point in the day is natural so no extra time is taken out of the day to do stomach exercise. The second thing this strategy helps with is that the human body should not remain motionless for more then thirty minutes anyway, by getting up and doing stomach exercises every few minutes it really boosts up the bodies metabolism.

Another good time to do stomach exercises is first thing in the morning. Try rolling out of bed, maybe literally, and lie down on the floor and do as many repetitions as possible in a set amount of time, even just five minutes. There is a lot of evidence to suggest that exercising first thing in the morning may be more beneficial to a person then trying to exercise other times of the day. While there are many reasons for this, one valid reason is that it gets the metabolism going for the day after a nights sleep. Since most people are extra concerned about the appearance of their stomach, it seems logical to start the day with a good set of stomach exercise.

Of course, for those that are able to dedicate time each day to exercising, their routine should include stomach exercises. There are some reports that say that muscles need time to rest, so only exercise a particular group of muscles every other day, while other reports say that stomach muscles are ok to exercise everyday. One way to answer the question on when to do stomach exercises, every day or every other day is first listen to your body. If the stomach muscles are sore, rest them, if not then maybe one day work on them more intensely then the next day, but try to include at least one set of stomach exercises daily.

There is good reason for wanting to develop strong stomach muscles, besides for appearance sake. This is the core of your body. If it is not strong, the rest of your body will suffer. The good news is that most stomach exercises can be done anywhere with absolutely no machines or gadgets. With a little diligence and some creativity, there are plenty of times throughout the day to sneak in stomach exercises

The Stomach Exercise All-stars

There are plenty of stomach exercises out the for those who want to shape their core and strengthen their midsection. This may be both a blessing and a curse. It is easy to find plenty of exercises and routines that work the midsection, but how does one know which ones are any good? Well, listed here are what appear to be some of the best around, according to recommendations by fitness experts. If you want to work on your stomach, but are not sure where to start, then this "all-star team" may be a good jumping off point. As with any workout routine, be sure to consult a professional before beginning and always warm up properly to avoid injury.

Crunchless Crunch Regular crunches are great for working the rectus abdominus (the muscles at the front of your stomach), but they do very little for the transverse abdominal muscles deeper in the midsection, plus they tend to put strain on your back and neck. This first exercise corrects that, working the transverse muscles with no back or neck strain. Essentially, it involves trying to pull the belly button in towards the spine. This can be tricky, as it involves using muscles which you may not be used to activating. To start, either lie or on your stomach or kneel. You might want to try both ways and see which helps you feel the exercise better. Relax your body as much as possible, then try to use only the lower abdominals to move your belly button toward your spine. Hold for ten seconds. If holding for ten seconds feels easy, hold for a longer period. The goal is to hold the contraction until you either cannot feel it, or you feel other muscles working harder than the transverse abdominus. When you feel this, let the contraction out.

Hip Lift Remain on your back for this stomach exercise. Put your arms at your sides with palms facing up to the ceiling. Put your legs straight up in the air so that the soles of your feet are facing the ceiling and your legs make about a ninety degree angle with your torso. Keep your knees unbent and as straight as possible. Now, contract your ab muscles so that it feels like your belly button is being pulled toward your spine, while at the same time gently lifting your hips off the floor. Raise your hips to height of a few inches, keeping your legs extended straight upward. Hold this position, then slowly lower your hips back to the floor. Repeat for an entire set.

Long Arm Crunch For this stomach exercise, remain on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat. Lie back and extend your arms straight back on the floor as though you are reaching above your head. Contract your abs and slowly lift your arms, head and shoulders off the floor to about a thirty degree angle. Hold it, then slowly lower your shoulders back to the floor. Repeat for an entire set. Be careful not to lead with your arms, keeping them straight and alongside your head.

Some other honorable mentions include the vertical leg crunch, torso twists, and any Pilates routine that emphasizes the core. Feel free to research some of these exercises more once you have mastered the three above. Now that you are armed with some of the better stomach exercises, you are on your way to a trimmer tummy!