Tone your abs in a month: 4 exercises to try at home
Exercising consistently is one of the golden rules for staying healthy, as we all know. But it's not always easy to overcome the tiredness of daily life, and it's even more difficult to decide to use up rest days exercising. Of course, there are those who carve out a few hours a week to spend in the gym or training in various sports. But when you little time, how can you exercise in a measured and progressive way? Well, you can do some at-home exercises.
There are in fact many exercises that can be done at home - in just a few minutes - and which help you tone your body. In the case of the abs, for example, you can do a routine made up of a combination of different types of exercises which can be done in 15-20 minutes each day to start with.
Doing these exercises consistently for a month will give you great results. Here are 4 exercises to try at home, and for which you will only need a mat (like a yoga mat) and comfortable gym clothes.
Leg lifts
Lie face up on the mat, extending your arms along your sides with your palms on the floor. The legs must be extended and with the toes pointing. Then begin to lift the legs, keeping them stretched out, as far as you can. It is important to use the muscles of the abdomen and groin, without lifting the pelvis or torso off the ground.
Move slowly. The ideal is to create a 90° angle with the torso, bringing the legs vertical to the floor. As soon as you reach the maximum height, lower them again: all these movements must be slow and measured, without sudden jerks. Repeat 20 times.
Reverse abs crunch
Video tutorial via Well+Good/YouTube
Start from the same position, then bend your knees keeping your feet flat on the ground. At this point, slowly begin to lift your legs so that your knees are as close to your face as possible. You'll lift your pelvis too, but you shouldn't arch your back. Do not push yourself off the ground and make a measured movement by leveraging the muscles of the lower abdomen. Repeat 15 times.
Touch your toes
Still lying on your back, lift your straight legs forming a 90° angle with the ground. Without lowering your legs, stretch your arms forward and lift your torso (you must not arch your back or bend your neck), trying to bring your fingertips to your toes, as close as you can. Repeat 10 times.
Planking
There are many variations of the plank. And they all start from a basic position: start by lying on your stomach and place your forearms parallel to your body, with your elbows under your shoulders. Keeping your legs straight, place your toes on the ground, placing your feet together. At this point, lift the pelvis by pulling the whole body into traction: you have to create a straight line from the neck to the feet. The mistakes to avoid are the lowered pelvis and the arched back. Maintain the correct position until you really can't take it anymore and then relax on the ground. Try for 15 seconds and then gradually increase: if you manage to get to two minutes it would already be an extraordinary exercise for the whole body!
In any case, concentrate (for each of these exercises) on regular breathing, maintaining the correct position and continuing the activity as long as you can without straining yourself unnecessarily. The body will learn by itself to endure more and more and the results will be clear - not only in terms of aesthetics but also in terms of mobility and well-being!
