Firstly it depends why you’re exercising, do you want to lose weight? Do you want to tone up? Do you want to build muscle? Or perhaps you want to improve your fitness levels? Either way, the first thing you need to do before you start even thinking about what is the best exercise for you, you need to first workout what your goal is.
Once you have established what your exercise goal is you can then start to consider which exercise is best for you. If you are looking to lose weight, for example, you will need to be doing plenty of cardiovascular exercises such as running or cycling.
If exercise really isn’t something you get excited about or really enjoy, it’s not because there isn’t an exercise out there for you, it’s just that you haven’t found it yet. It’s taken me years to find an exercise routine I both like and can reap the benefits from. I combine aerobic classes such as Zumba and Boxfit with strength exercise classes such as Bodypump and Toning classes.
The best way to find out which is the best exercise for you is to first determine your exercise goals and then get out there and try things out.
An abdominal exercise is an exercise which works the stomach and also the sides of the stomach known as the oblique’s, abdominal exercises are also known as ab exercises.
There are some serious misconceptions when it comes to working out the stomach muscles. People think that doing 100 situps a day will give them the perfect abdominals but actually that’s not necessarily true. The only way to have that perfect washboard stomach is to combine abdominal exercises with a good cardio workout too. The stomach muscles have a layer of fat covering them and unless you id that stomach fat first there’s no chance of you seeing your toned abs anytime soon.
There are however plenty of exercises you can be doing whilst also burning your stomach fat and some of the best ab exercises (in our opinion) include:
Stomach crunches are very similar to a sit up but you don’t sit the full way up. Instead your head doesn’t touch the floor and you repeat tiny pulses whilst in the sit up position. You should aim to do 3 sets of 16 to start with and work your way to increasing the amount you do. Always make sure you head is supported and if you’re not sure on your technique ask an instructor at your local gym.
Ladies, listen up! If you want to pull in your waist and help perfect that hourglass figure then this abdominal exercise is for you. Position yourself in the sit up position but put both of your legs pointing towards the ceiling. Start to do a sit up but as you do, take your right hand and aim to touch your left foot in the air, so effectively you twist to one side, then repeat on the opposite side. Again initially aim to do this exercise for 3 sets of 16, you should feel this in your sides or your waist. If you feel any pain in your back whilst doing working the oblique’s, stop immediately and correct your technique. This is the best abdominal exercise to work the sides of your stomach – the obliques.
Never heard of the plank? Well welcome to one serious stomach burning exercise. This exercise works both your stomach but also your core muscles, these are the muscles that support your posture and can also help to reduce back pain if worked and exercises correctly.
To do the plank firstly lay on your front, tuck you toes under and put your arms underneath you, in line with your shoulders with your forearms lying flat on the floor. Push yourself up so that you are only supported by your tucked under toes you’re your forearms. Pull your stomach muscles in and make sure you back is flat and parallel to the floor, your back should not be arched and your bum should not be poking in the air. Hold this exercise for as long as you can, if you are a beginner and you are doing this exercise correctly you should start to feel this working after 20-30 seconds.
The benefits of exercise are huge! Exercising on a regular basis can help to improve your physical appearance and fitness levels as well as your emotional and mental wellbeing.
Exercising produces endorphins which help to boost your mood and help you stay positive. Exercising also helps reduce your chances of developing depressions, different types of cancers and type2 diabetes. In fact there are very few down sides to exercising so if you want to find out the benefits of exercising we suggest you get out there, start exercising and enjoy the benefits for yourself.
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