With warm weather approaching, it’s time to start thinking about the most effective exercises for to help you feel comfortable in your skin. For many, the battle of the bulge is especially difficult in the abdominal region. The abdominal walls are made up of three layers: the external oblique, the internal oblique and the transverse abdominals. The rectus abdominis are the pairs of of muscles that can be seen on people with low body fat. These are the “abs” that so many work so hard for every day. Everyone knows about crunches but there are other ways to help shrink the waistline and strengthen the core. Here are the top five tips to get the abs of your dreams.

(Image via Wikipedia)

1. Planks are a fabulous way to strengthen your core which will not only give you a svelte waistline, but will help with your posture and overall body strength. To plank properly, avoid these common planking mistakes as reviewed on the Daily Burn website: Arching your back, lowering your hips, and looking straight ahead while holding your pose will put your body at risk for muscle strains while lessening the effectiveness of the exercise.

2. Cardio is the best way to burn excess fat. Last week we explored HIIT workouts for fast fat-blasting routines. Fitness Blender offers this 21 minute Cardio and Abs HIIT Workout to help shed the fat that surrounds those beautiful muscles.

3. Yoga and Pilates are known to help you flatten your tummy and give you a strong core. This health.com article offers some tips to help you get the most out of your Pilates or yoga routine:
“Move from your waist. Whenever you twist, make sure the movement happens from your bottom rib up. Keep hips still. Tighten up. Throughout each move, you should feel a tightening, similar to zipping up a pair of tight jeans, from one hip bone to the other. Exhale deeply. To help strengthen your abs and protect your lower back, be sure to exhale thoroughly with every breath.”

4. Eating the right foods is fundamental in achieving abs worth showing off. Ella Magers is the author of The Six Weeks to Sexy Abs Meal Plan cookbook as well as the founder of Sexy Fit Vegan. She recently shared her favorite foods for sexy abs on The Today Show. Foods that top her list include leafy greens, avocado, and fresh fruit. The greens pack in a lot of nutrients for minimal calories, while the fat from the avocados and sweetness from the fruit provide filling, nutritious satisfaction.

5. While everyone is familiar with the classic crunch, there are ways to modify this gut-buster to challenge the hidden muscles that support the ones that you wish to show off this summer. Watch this video from health.com to learn how to do a Medicine Ball Russian Twist today and you’ll be cinching your belt a little tighter tomorrow.

https://youtu.be/2_MsoqTpIJ8

If you live in the Millersville, Maryland area, the tip that tops all is calling Repke Fitness for a consultation. Call 410-656-2121 and tell Louben Repke all about the abs of your dreams. The staff at Repke Fitness will be there to encourage you when you are struggling and celebrate with you when you reach your goals.

(Image via Tumblr.)