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If you’re suffering from muffin top, the chances are you want to work on getting rid of it in the privacy of your own home, where you don’t have to suffer any embarrassment in front of those buff gym bunnies!
Personally, I feel much more motivated to exercise when I know that no-one will see my imperfections as I work on them.
The exercises I’m going to share with you today are ones which I’ve found success with and don’t need any equipment either, so they’re perfect to do right there in your living room.
Remember that if you are thinking of starting a new exercise regime, always consult a doctor first to make sure you’re not going to cause any damage to your body.
Before exercising, you should also warm up for a few minutes to ensure you don’t strain any muscles.
The Back Extension
This exercise focuses on your lower back and glutes (butt), so it’s great for tightening up that fleshy area at the back of your hips.
Start by lying on your front on a comfortable surface (use an exercise mat if you have one) with your arms by your sides; palms up to the ceiling, and your feet together; toes pointed straight behind you.
Take a deep breath in, then, as you slowly release it, raise your upper chest and lower legs off the floor.
Keep your stomach and glutes tight and stretch forwards and up through the top of your head, and backwards and up through your fingertips and toes.
Hold this position as you inhale; concentrating on keeping your muscles tight, then exhale and slowly lower yourself back to the start position.
Repeat this exercise until you can feel your muscles tiring and keep a note of how many repetitions you managed (you can build on this number in the future).
Oblique Crunches
Oblique crunches work the muscles which run down the sides of your stomach (the obliques).
Concentrating on this area gives your body stability and creates definition around your waist.
Start by lying flat on your back with your arms by your sides and knees bent and together, but over to your left hand side. In this position your shoulder blades should be flat on the floor but your waist will be twisted slightly as your left leg rests flat on the floor at a right angle to your torso and your right leg rests on top of the left.
Cross your arms across your chest to avoid using them to pull yourself up.
Take a deep breath in, then slowly exhale and raise your head and shoulders off the ground slightly and back down in a steady, controlled movement.
Repeat the exercise as many times as you can on each side and make a note of the number of repetitions.
This is essentially a sit up movement, but by turning your legs to one side you allow the body to utilise the oblique muscles rather than the abdominals.
It’s a pretty tough workout, but it is more important to feel your muscles working than to do loads of reps – work at the right pace for you.
The Bridge
The bridge is pretty much the ultimate muffin top exercise – it works on your stomach, lower back and glutes all in one go!
To do this exercise start by lying on your back, arms by your sides and knees bent.
Stabilise (or anchor) your body on the floor by bringing your shoulder blades back and down and firmly placing your palms and feet flat against the ground (your feet should be about hip width apart).
Inhale deeply then release this breath as you slowly roll your spine, one vertebra at a time, away from the floor, starting at your tailbone.
When you reach the bridge position only your head, shoulder blades, arms and feet should be anchored to the ground, while your abs and glutes should be nice and tight; holding your hips suspended in the air.
Hold this position for another deep inhale, then slowly exhale and roll your spine back onto the mat, starting from the top.
This is another tough one so really try to feel your muscles tightening as you go through the exercise.
As with the others, repeat to fatigue and note down the number of reps you managed.
What Will I Achieve?
By doing all three of these exercises on a regular basis (I do a targeted exercise routine every other day) you will be activating all of the muscles that make up the muffin top area and giving them strength and tone.
Doing these exercises alone, however, will not get rid of your problem area.
It is recommended that we do just half an hour of aerobic exercise each day for our bodies to stay healthy, and this is 100% necessary if you’re serious about seeing your muffin top disappear.
You can do anything really, (walk the dog, hoover etc) as long as it gets your heart beating faster so that your body burns fat.
Eating a healthy, balanced diet is also important if you want to see results.
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Source by Jessica Smithdown