Jane Wake shows the best exercises to engage your core and give you strong abdominal muscles.
Jane's easy ab workout moves are ideal for women of any fitness level and are designed with the Little Black Dress Diet plan in mind.
AbSolution Exercises
Zip it up!
Targets: Deep core abdominal muscles whilst also working arms, back and shoulders.
Jane says...
Go onto your hands and knees, knees in line with hips, hands in line with shoulders. Hold your spine neutral - this is where you have small curves in your neck and lower back areas. Make sure your eyes are looking directly at the floor above your finger tips. Bend your elbows slightly so that you can tuck them in against your sides - imagine you are holding a ruler under each arm pit.
Imagining you are balancing a glass of water on your back, pull up through your deep abdominal and pelvic floor muscles - This is a deep feeling that centres from your pelvic floor and into your tummy - imagine drawing your tailbone into your pubic bone and your pubic bone up to your belly button - This is your Zip line. So Zip it up!
You should already feel you are working slightly. For more intensity, lift your knees 1cm off the floor, keeping your body weight forward, eye level above finger tips. Hold for two to six big breaths and lower and repeat two to three times.
Harder version: Hold for longer and try extending one leg out behind you.
Waist whittler
Targets:Waist whilst also working legs, bum and shoulders.
Jane says...
Anchor your band at floor level and stand with your left side, sideways on to your band, holding the band in both hands. If don't have a band, hug your bag of spuds, below your chest and to your left as if holding a ball under your left arm.
With your feet hip width, lower into a small squat, weight into heels, bum behind you. Take a breath and as you breathe out, pull the band around to the opposite side as you lift out of the squat. Follow the same action if holding your spuds!
Focus on winding up your waist, shoulders down, tummy in , back up tall. Release and repeat 15 to 20 times and change sides.
Harder version: Use a heavier resistance, lower deeper into your squat and rotate more at the waist moving faster as you lift and slower as you return back.
Fab abs
Targets: Deep abdominals and wash board stomach.
Jane says...
We're going back to the traditional sit up but with some added benefits so that you can get more from your curl up!
Lie the floor over a towel, or, if you have a band lie length ways along your band with the band poking out above your head. Make sure yours back is in neutral position, This where you have your tailbone on the floor and a little hollow in your lower back.
Take a hold of the top two corners of your towel or band and, keeping your head, resting back in your towel/band, lift the towel/band off the floor. Let your head sink into the towel/band as you gently pull the towel/band up. Let your chin draw into your chest, making sure the neck stays relaxed.
Look at your tummy as your head and shoulders lift higher. Focus on keeping your tailbone on the floor as you hollow your tummy and use the 'zip it up' principle in your first exercise. Lower and repeat six to 20 times.