Tips for a well-toned abdomen

Anupa is an executive fitness consultant and a certified aerobic instructor from Reebok University. Anupa, a martial arts practitioner, pioneered the concept of 'Sthriraksh' 'self-defence for women and 'Stretch' - Wellness for Women packages. She customises fitness solutions for executives, women entrepreneurs and children. Post your health-related queries to her at anupa.m@sify.com

This week we will focus on another important muscle group - the abdomen. Most of the time we tend to start putting on weight (in reality accumulating fat) around the mid region. Initially there would be only a change in dimensions but over a period of time it will also result in gaining some extra pounds. What starts as a small worry and alteration of the wardrobe results in minor ailments, aches and pains to major diseases. We are all well aware that excess fat in the body is detrimental to health, but when it comes to burning this excess fat and preventing accumulation we only bank on our knowledge and resources rather than the 'real' action.

Let us set aside all the knowledge we have in this issue and see what is the action we can get into to work on this area. Let us also look at the ill effects of fat accumulation and benefits of warding it off (my share of knowledge transfer!)

The core muscle groups i.e. abdomen and back protect each other simultaneously. Most of the women fear indulging in strengthening the abdomen muscles and think that it is only for men. Also we assume that if we start cutting ruthlessly on our food we can lose the extra flab in this area.

The reality is that with a little bit of modification in our lifestyle we can handle this muscle group effectively. The result being that we will have a cumulative benefit and can also stay away from most ailments and diseases.

Get 'back' your flexibility

The abdomen muscles have a natural shape comprising of 8 compartments called 8 packs (look into any anatomy or biology book). This you can notice naturally in people who do a lot of hard work and labour like laying roads, construction, farmers and of course athletes. The structure for women is also more or less same but is less visible even when toned well. So please let go of all your fears in this regard, you will never look macho.

Some of the benefits of a well-toned abdomen are:

A well-toned abdomen will have well developed muscles. When muscles are toned fat accumulation does not occur easily.
A well-toned abdomen ensures that the back muscles are also strengthened and toned. This reduces the risk of backaches and strains.
A well-toned abdomen keeps diseases like diabetes, hypertension, ailments of the heart etc at bay. The reason being when we work on toning our abdomen muscles we automatically work on exercising the rest of the body.
A well-toned abdomen ensures that your uterus and pelvic region are well supported, protected and taken care of.
A well-toned abdomen ensures that your posture while walking, sitting and standing are corrected and perfected.
Also a well-toned abdomen enhances your body's shape and appearance. You are a lot more agile, supple, flexible and confident.

Here are some basic toning exercises. Never focus on only the abdomen group exercises. Ensure that you have a routine which takes care of overall fitness - cardio, flexibility, strength and give only the last 10 minutes for abdomen toning.

Your overall routine should involve a nice warm up that prepares your entire body for the routine that is to begin. Ensure any cardio fitness exercise you would enjoy like jogging, running, skipping, swimming etc. follow this up with a strength routine to tone all the muscles of your body, a flexibility routine to stretch all your joints. This will now leave you with just sufficient time to work on your abdomen muscles. I will write about all the other forms of exercises with more detail in the articles to follow.

Simple stretches to regain your flexibility

Some basic abdomen toners are as follows:

With feet shoulder width apart, tuck in your abdomen as much as you can by inhaling deeply. Slowly bend forward and place your hands on your knees .( it will appear like your searching for something on the ground) From this position move your abdomen in and out without exhaling for as many counts as you can - 15 to 50 counts are effective. Now slowly exhale. If you are panting, come back to normal breathing and then repeat the same. You can do three sets of the same.
Lie flat on your back and fold your right knee. The left leg is outstretched. Your hand will be spread apart in line with your shoulder. Twist your lower body such that your right knee goes over your left leg in the bent position and touches the floor. You will feel the pressure at the sides of your abdomen i.e. your obliques. Hold for 30 seconds and come back to the original position. Repeat the same on the other side. You can do three sets of the same.
Lie flat on your back. Let your feet be together. Tuck your hands under your lower back, above your butt. Slowly lift both your feet off the ground until around a 45 degree angle. Hold for 15 seconds and slowly move up to a 90 degree angle. Hold here also for 15 seconds and then slowly bring your legs down. Try keeping your knee straight when you do this. Repeat the same exercise thrice.
Follow these up with the bhujang asana or cobra stance mentioned in the previous article. It is very essential to do the back stretch after these abdomen toning exercises to avoid any strain on the back.

Start off with these basic stretches. The simplicity of the exercises should not give you doubts about the impact and effectiveness. Try them all and get back to me with your queries.

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