Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Benefits and Limitations of Abdominal Muscle Exercise

By Kat Wendersen

Anyone interested in fitness wants to have great looking abs - firm, rippled and well-toned, along with a trim waist. All those are achievable, but beware accepting any myths about flat stomachs and spot reduction around the waist.

When exercising, you use up energy which are calculated in calories. As you use up enough of your available energy in your body so that it decreases your sugar levels, your body then consumes stored energy. This type of energy comes from fat and adipose tissues.

During exercise you cannot choose which fat deposits to burn; this occurs randomly. So there is no such thing as 'spot reducing.' But don't be discouraged; having great-looking abs is still achievable.

While working on your abs, you develop strength in that part of your body in the form of muscle mass. This is benefits you in a lot of ways. It retains a firm and strong layer of muscle that makes sure that your stomach and other internal organs remain within the area of your hips. This gives your abs a firm look.

Abdominal muscles are large muscles. By concentrating on these muscles when you do abdominal exercises, more energy is used up in this area. You will need more energy to be able to do the varied range of motions involved in abdominal exercises. By expending energy, calories are burned which in turns lead to loss of weight and fat minimization.

Abdominal exercise cannot be replaced with gadgets or drugs that are made available in the market. The best method is still proper diet and exercise in different levels from light to heavy. You cannot cut corner when it comes to achieving fit abs.

Your general appearance is dictated by genetics and age, as well as gender. It is but natural for some people to gather fat around the stomach area. Nature takes its toll on your body also.

It is natural for women in their 40s to have a problem with their mid-section and lower abdomen. Men of the same age group tend to have 'love handles' on their sides. All these are inevitable and it naturally comes with aging.

In order to achieve the desired effect you have to approach muscle fatigue. There's no need to perform a hundred crunches to accomplish that. Done correctly, 20 reps is enough. You don't even have to go to the gym. You can do pelvic tilts while sitting in a chair in the office.

But for best effect, warm up and try the following:

Lie on your back. Cross your arms around your chest and raise your knees. Lift your upper body. Hold this position for 30 seconds. You should feel your abs tightening. This is the effect you want to achieve. To increase degree of difficulty, put your hands at the side of your head. But do not use your hands to lift your head. Let the abdominal muscles do the work. For maximum difficulty put your hands above your head and lift your shoulders and upper body, then hold. Feel your abs tighten and contract.

This exercise should help you burn energy. Do this on a daily basis for about 10 minutes or 20 repetitions and you'll notice changes after only a few weeks.

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