Five exercises for great abs

Your body’s core consists of a group of muscles in and around the abdomen, and its key function is to stabilise the body while it moves. This is why having a strong core is so important – to keep you from getting injured while doing normal, everyday things.

These exercises are not just great for strengthening your core – they’ll help you beat the bulge and create beautiful abs in the process! The best part is that you don’t need any expensive equipment or a gym membership – you can practice these great ab moves in the comfort of your own home.

The Abdominal Hold:

All you need to complete this fantastic ab exercise is a chair, and after a few seconds you’ll start feeling the burn!

1. Grab a sturdy chair and sit at the edge with your hands flat down, right beside you and your fingers pointed out towards your knees.
2. Tighten your abs and push yourself upwards, so your butt lifts a few centimetres off the seat.
3. Hold yourself in that position for 10 – 15 seconds and remember to breathe!
4. Lower yourself slowly and sit normally for a few seconds – That’s one rep.

Try to do 5 or 6 reps per workout.

High Arm Partial Sit Up

This one is something between a crunch and a sit up – but with an interesting twist!

1. Lie flat on your back and knees bent at 90 degrees – like you would during a normal sit up.
2. Raise your arms and point them towards the ceiling, try to keep them pointed up throughout the exercise.
3. Do a half sit up (or crunch) and then lower yourself to the ground. That’s one rep.

Do as many of these as you can within a minute in your workout.

Flutter Kicks

This seems easy enough, but packs quite the punch due to the rapid movements of your legs.

1. Lie flat on your back and raise both your legs off the ground
2. Kick your feet up and down in a scissor-like motion, but make sure they do not touch the ground.
3. Do this for about a minute, and then rest. This is one rep.

Aim to do 5 – 6 reps in your workout.

The Plank

You’ve definitely heard of this one – it’s well known for shredding cores!

1. Begin by lying face down on the ground with your hands below your shoulders and your elbows up – like the beginning of a push up.
2. Push yourself up into the full push up position with your palms on the floor beneath your shoulders and your knees off the ground.
3. Hold it for 30 seconds, with your abs contracted, your arms and legs extended, and your head aligned with your spine.
4. As you build strength you can hold this position for even longer, try to aim for a minute at a time.

There are even more difficult variations of this awesome ab exercise, so once you’ve mastered the basic form you can take your workouts up a notch and try a one-handed variety.

The Hundred

This deceptive move looks like a breeze but will have you panting in no time. Just keep breathing.

1. Start by lying on your back with your knees bent and your arms at your sides.
2. Tighten your abs and lift your head up off the ground while simultaneously lifting your feet – at this point your arms should still be supporting you.
3. Lift your arms and point them straight out in front of you – so your whole-body rests on your bum.
4. Vigorously move your arms up and down, reaching with your fingertips.
5. Keep your abs tight and your chin tucked under your head while you do this.

One minute of this is one rep. Try to incorporate 5 – 6 reps into your workout.

Incorporating combinations of these workouts into your exercise routine will get you some stronger core and tight, sculpted abs in no time. Be sure to compliment your workouts with an energy-controlled diet, plenty of water and enough sleep for truly spectacular results.

Before adopting any workout regime, speak to your doctor about what best suits you.

There are many affordable medical aid schemes and medical insurance plans that will ensure you are covered by the best doctors with the best advice on which lifestyle changes to make, that will ideally suit your specific needs.