No woman wants to have a flabby stomach, but with work, parenthood, and finding some time for yourself, few women have the time or the incentive for a hard and long workout. That's okay, because some of the most effective abs exercises for women can be done in a relatively short time, in the comfort of your own home. One thing to remember is that abdominal exercises should be performed carefully so that the back is adequately supported. Abs exercises are all about frequency as opposed to intensity and no exercise should be continued if it is painful. You should start slowly, with just a few reps, until your body is more used to working the abs. Below are the 4 best abdominal exercises.
The Crunch
The crunch is performed by lying with your back on the floor, your ankles crossed and the knees lifted toward your chest. Hands should be placed behind the head with elbows straight out to the sides. Contract the abs and lift your shoulders off the floor. Do not strain your neck and do not press your lower back flat on the floor.
Leg Raises
This exercise is good for your lower abs. Lie flat on the floor with your legs straight, hands at your sides. Lift your legs about eight inches off the floor and hold them for as long as you can without hurting your neck or arching your back. Do this as often as you can, keeping your abs tight and your lower back flat against the floor.
Bicycle Crunch
The idea is to train the upper and lower abs in one go. Fully extend one leg while the other is bent, hitting your opposite elbow against the bent leg. Then, repeat for the other side without taking any rest or dropping your torso back down, in a twisting bike-pedal motion so that your upper body is in a crunch position the entire time you do them. You should do this very slowly and focus on deep breathing and working your abs.
The Plank
You may need a mat for this, but you can also do this on a comfortable rug. Lie face down on the forearms, palms flat on the floor. Push off the floor, leaning on the toes and resting on the elbows. Keep your back flat, in a straight line from head to toe. Try to keep your buttocks out of the air as you contract your abdomen. Hold for about half a minute and try to do 3 reps.
Remember that abs exercises are easy to do and usually don't require any equipment. Abs are one of the most important types of core exercises you can do, and your core is where all the movement in your body comes from. Another thing to remember is that abdominal exercises alone will not help you achieve flat abs. You have to train the whole body and lose weight in all areas.
