By Denise Austin , Denise Austin is the author of several books including Sculpt Your Body with Balls and Bands and the host of two Lifetime Television fitness programs.
Snug tops and low-riding pants make the need for a lean waist more apparent than ever. But there’s an even better reason to aspire to a trim midsection: your health. A waistline of 35 or more inches puts women at risk for life-threatening conditions such as heart disease and diabetes. Smart eating, aerobic exercise, and ab-tightening moves such as the ones below will keep you out of the danger zone.
The moves target the obliques on the sides of your torso. Do two or three sessions a week, with a rest day between workouts.
Keeping your spine straight, sit back on your sit bones with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, ankles touching. Place your hands on the floor behind you for balance.
Contract your abdominal muscles, and lower your legs to the left until they are about 6 inches from the floor, keeping your ankles pressed together and your shoulders forward. Your feet will roll, but they should stay on the floor. Hold for a second, and then use your abs to slowly pull your legs up and over to the right. Don’t let your knees simply fall to the side; keep the move controlled. Repeat from side to side for 1 minute.
Lie on your right side with your legs extended. Wrap your right forearm across your waist and rest your right hand on the left side. Bring your left hand behind your head, so your left elbow points toward the ceiling. An easier version: Don’t lift your leg; lift your upper body only.
Using the obliques on your left side (not your right arm), pull in your abs and lift your right shoulder off the floor about 2 to 3 inches, while raising your left leg about 12 inches. Hold for 2 seconds, and then slowly return to the starting position. Start with 5 to 8 reps on each side, and work up to 12 to 15. Do one or two sets with 1 minute of rest in between.
That's it!
Source: buzz.prevention.com
Thu Oct 23, 2008 6:13 pm