Here are 7 easy exercises to slim the waistline, firm the stomach and strengthen the abdominal muscles:
1) Oblique crunches with knees on the ground
The first waistline exercise is a real cure, it makes the whole abdominal kinetic chain work. Lie on your back, bend your knees and turn them to one side . Hands go behind the head at the level of the occiput.
With shoulders and elbows that remain parallel to the floor, fold into crunches, lifting your shoulders off the ground. Lower the cervical tract and then repeat again, with the knees on the other side.
2) Abdominal torsions
Seated with legs bent and feet slightly off the ground, maintain a tension that should remain bearable for the erector muscles of the spine: the torso is in fact tilted back but not too much.
Turn right and then left. You can do the exercise with a weight in your hands, keeping your elbows at 90 °.
In this exercise the chest is out and the shoulders are to be held back.
3) Standing with an elastic band
An exercise that stimulates the oblique abdominals without even needing to move from the erect station held with the knees slightly soft?
Equip yourself with an elastic band, hold it at shoulder level and fasten it behind you against something (for example, place your back to a window and tie the elastic band to the handle that closes the two doors of the window) or you can use the help of someone behind you holding the other end at your shoulder.
So, while one end will be fixed or held up by someone behind you more or less at the height of your shoulders, you will hold the other end of the elastic band, stretch out your arms until you stretch the band enough. Hold for 20 seconds.
4) Plank
For fourth we chose the plank, which in addition to the abdominals also makes the buttocks work. The literal Italian translation of this exercise is " Axis ".
The position resembles that of the bending on the arms, only that, instead of on the hands, one stands on the elbows and the forearms are two sides of an imaginary triangle without a base that has the hands at the top; the body is lifted from the ground, the belly and the whole body give towards the floor.
The line that you should ideally fix with your body is straight and your back and feet should be kept on the same level. Gradually increase the time held in this position, do not make exaggerated resistance tests, listen to yourself a lot.
Two tricks : avoid bending your shoulders during exercise and if you feel too much work on your back try to raise your hips slightly from the starting position. The body is held on the forearms, the belly looks towards the floor, and, we repeat, the body is a single axis.
To firm up your belly, try these simple exercises
5) Crunch with bicycle
The fifth exercise is the bicycle crunch . Many and many of you will have met him in some Pilates lessons. Here the lumbar area is never detached from the mattress. The shoulders are forward and slightly raised off the floor.
Alternating the right knee and then the left knee, it is carried towards the chest, keeping the other leg extended and slightly raised from the mattress.
In addition to the enormous abdominal benefits, it also benefits from the hip flexors and the thigh and buttocks muscles.
6) Oblique rollback
Always from the dimension of Pilates we go on an exercise called Rollback oblique. You sit on the ground, your feet are on the floor, your legs bent, your arms stretched forward.
You go back with your back to form a single soft curve, turn your torso to the right and bring your right arm backwards. Repeat on the other side. This exercise is particularly effective because it allows work on the deep abdominal muscles. The buttocks do not come off the floor for the duration of the exercise.
7) Standing rotations
Finally, a classic : upright, legs apart, bring the torso to the right for several repetitions and then to the left. In this exercise it is essential that the back is straight and breathing is not voluntary.
Waist anatomy
To understand how important the strengthening of this area is, we have thought of going over the parts a little in broad terms.
The diaphragm regulates the tone of the muscles belonging to this area, give it a try: contract all the muscles and you will see how difficult the inspiration becomes. It is in the diaphragm that they have their same origin. Being directly connected to the thoracic cage, these muscles determine their shape change and expansion.
The transverse abdomen originates from the costal cartilage at the base of the inner surface of the rib cage. The fibers of the transversus go into horizontal insertion and connect with those of the diaphragm which are instead arranged vertically; then extending upwards these fibers constitute the transverse of the chest. There is continuity between the intercostal layers: the external obliques become the internal intercostals and the internal obliques become internal intercostal.
The body is a fascinating and extremely receptive system. Many of the sensations we experience during the day are deposited in the stomach. Be careful at the table, if you take care of your diet, avoid excesses and safeguard this area of the human body that is the center of creativity, the seat of personal power, a "center" of self-esteem and strength.
