To Sara of Fit by Sara: “I see all kinds of equipment to firm and tone the abs. What do you think works the abs the best?”
From Fit by Sara: “Honestly you don’t need any equipment to firm and tone your abdominals. If you exercise consistently and do old fashioned abdominal crunches (see below for a quick ab workout) your muscles will get toned. The problem is strong abdominals are often covered by a layer (or two) of body fat. Body fat can be reduced by an increase in cardio (walking, jogging, aerobics, etc.) and a “lean” diet of whole grains breads and pastas, lean meats, veggies and fruit. Once body fat is lost you’ll see your firm abdominals coming through.
Old Fashioned Ab Crunch Workout:
*Lay on your back with your knees bent
*Place your hands behind your head
*Contract your abdominals, flatten your low back and lift your chest towards the ceiling
*Hold at the top of the contraction for one breath
*Slowly lower, then repeat for 15 reps
*After 15 reps pulse at the top of the contraction
*Repeat for 15 more reps
*Work up to 3 sets of 15 slow, 15 pulse, 15 slow”-Sara Holliday MFT, CPT
~Got a fitness question for me? Leave a comment or email me at info@fitbysara.com .