Ab Exercises
I recommend using Tracy Anderson’s workouts as you get a feminine looking waist with great definition. She is a personal trainer who is best known for her Tracy Anderson Method, with clients including Madonna, Gwyneth Paltrow, Courteney Cox, Shakira, Ashley Greene,and Jennifer Lopez.
Do move #8 – #12 for 10 days and once you are comfortable with them, do move #24 -#28 for another 10 days then finally do the rest! Reps: 40-80 (increase as you get more confident each day) Frequency: 4 days a week
I highly recommend her workouts as they are designed to pull muscles in instead of over developing them.
Tip: Women should perform crunches with straight legs and toes pointed outwards to achieve a flat stomach.
Plank – The key to a smaller waist!
Start on elbows and knees, locking hands together. Straighten legs and raise your body so that you’re supported by the balls of your feet, with feet hip-distance apart. Face the floor, being careful not to arch your back or stick your bottom in the air. Hold this position for 45 seconds to begin with, extending the time as you get stronger.
When performing an effective plank you should be able to place a broomstick down your back and the only contact points should be the head, upper back and hips. Be careful not to shrug the shoulders toward your ears. Do your best to keep your head neutral, like it is when you stand straight and stare forward. If you can do the plank for more than 60 seconds, try doing a more advanced version. Simply, lifting an arm or a foot will create more challenge.
The plank is one of the most effective exercises for getting a smaller waist as it works your inner-corset that pulls it in. A minute or more a day will get you good results. I am now absolutely addicted to the plank, although it’s a bit tedious! I place light weights above my lower back for extra challenge.
Hula Hooping
Hula hooping is soooo fun (for me, anyway), and it challenges your ab muscles as well as burns calories (I believe 7 calories per minute), so it’s great if you want to lose weight while tightening your waist at the same time. I recommend a weighted hula-hoop as it’s easier to use (mine is 2.5lb).
More tips
- To get a smaller waist, you need to strengthen your abs, especially inner abs. However, cardio is vital if you have a layer of fat on top of your tummy hiding your definition. Just a few minutes of cardio a day will strip off that fat and show off all your ab work.
- Do short ab workouts (3 sets of 1 min planks) first thing in the morning before you eat, for a smaller waist, so your muscles learn to tighten around your core as much as possible before it expands due to inserting food in there
- You always need to strenghten your core as it prevents back pain and helps good posture
- Lift and stretch your upper body! If you just stand tall and lift your stomach upwards, you automatically get a smaller waist
- Having smaller and more frequent meals a day means less bloating
- Cut down on bad carbs and salts
- Increase the use of herbs and spices such as nutmeg, cinnamon and ginger as they relax your digestion
- Drink herbal teas, especially fennel as it reduces bloating
- Drink PLENTY of water, to get rid of excess water weight that may be stored on your stomach
- Have an awesome diet of good quality carbs like sweet potatoes or brown rice, proteins, and plenty of fats like avocados, nuts, olive oil, organic butter
- Lots and lots of fibre, sweet potatoes and bananas are the best!
Our Beautiful Souls 