Do YOU Want A Flat Stomach? – Try The Pilates Way
Achieving a flat stomach can be obtained with a serious combination of discipline and down-right consistency. A matter of tweaking your diet and exercise. Chances are if you’re fairly active the bump shouldn’t be that nasty.
The trick is to move more! Preferably more than what you eat! However, assuming you have been ‘moving’, and still your now close friend won’t want to shrink any longer…help is around the corner… Pilates for flat stomach!
Pilates is a unified and personalized system which combines stretching, toning and strengthening exercises. It’s the ultimate east meets west kind of exercise. And the best part about this is …it guarantees a flat stomach!
The theory behind the flat abs is by experience; all exercises in Pilates include the stomach! You begin with the breathing exercises. Words like ‘engaging the abdominals’ or ‘abdominal wrapping’ is immediately introduced in the course. The matwork essentials whether on the beginners’ level or the advance challenges the practitioner to develop the core based on his capability.
Then the equipment work is introduced. That’s another world altogether! The core is recruited for every specific exercise performed on these ingenious equipment. Initially created and developed by the late Joseph Pilates. One must simply try it for at least 6 weeks to see the difference!
Start by lying down on your back. Make sure you are comfortable. Some of you would want to try it on top of a firm bed, or on a yoga mat. As long as you’re comfortable and you can perform the exercise …its fine with me. Bend your knees with feet planted on the bed. Keep your hands beside your hips palms facing the floor. Lets begin.
As you inhale through the nose lift the arms towards the ceiling. Keep it at a 90degree angle. As you exhale, (like a sigh-through the mouth) bring arms back down. Repeat 10x. Do it slowly. Deliberately. Don’t forget to ‘engage’ or bring stomach in when you exhale.
This breathing technique when integrated with the pilates principles is a good preparation for the basic abdominal exercises. As you become more aware on how your body reacts to each exercise you will come to realize that these simple tried and tested exercises really flatten the stomach!
Try it every morning for a couple of days. When you’ve mastered it ,then its time to learn The Hundreds. Jo’s answer to a flat stomach!
