Toning exercises can help you to build lean muscle, burn more calories and strengthen your bones. However, if there’s one area most women want to tone, it’s the middle section. The exercises outlined below can improve your fitness and overall wellbeing, as well as helping you to tone that tummy.
1. Sit Up: The Centre for Young Women’s Health (CYWH) outlines, ‘Lie with your back flat against the floor. Bend your knees and place both feet on floor. Place hands behind ears, gently supporting your head, but not holding or lifting your head up. Do not interlace your fingers together. Push your lower spine flat against the floor. Pretend there is a zipper holding your lower spine to the floor (starting position). Slowly lift your shoulders off the floor, using the strength of your abdominal muscles. As you lift, imagine you are squeezing your belly button into your spine (lifting position). Exhale (breathe out) as you lift up. Inhale (breathe in) as you slowly lower your shoulders back to floor (starting position). Repeat exercise for a set of eight.’
2. Isometric Sit Up: ‘Lie with your back flat against the floor,’ the CYWH advises. ‘Bend your knees and place both feet on floor. Place hands behind ears, gently supporting your head, but not holding or lifting your head up. Do not interlace your fingers together. Push your lower spine flat against the floor. Pretend there is a zipper holding your lower spine to the floor (starting position). Slowly lift your shoulders off the floor, using the strength of your abdominal muscles. As you lift, imagine you are squeezing your belly button into your spine (lifting position). Place your hands on your upper quadriceps and hold this position for a count of 16. This is an isometric or held muscular contraction. Exhale (breathe out) as you lift and hold while you move your hands from upper quadriceps to behind your ears. Inhale (breathe in) as you slowly lower your shoulders back to floor (starting position). Repeat exercise for a set of eight.’
3. Alternating Obliques Sit Up: The CYWH instructs, ‘Lie with your back flat against the floor. Bend your knees and place both feet on floor. Place hands behind ears, gently supporting your head, but not holding or lifting your head up. Do not interlace your fingers together. Push your lower spine flat against the floor. Pretend there is a zipper holding your lower spine to the floor (starting position). Slowly lift your shoulders off the floor, using the strength of your abdominal muscles. As you lift, imagine you are squeezing your belly button into your spine (lifting position). At lifting position, twist to the left by angling right shoulder and right elbow towards left knee. Squeeze the left oblique muscles in your waist and side as you twist. Return to centre lifting position. Exhale (breathe out) as you lift and complete the twist. Inhale (breathe in) as you slowly lower your shoulders back to floor (starting position). Repeat exercise for a set of eight. Repeat entire sequence by twisting to the right and working the right oblique muscles.’
4. Front Arm Raise: ‘Stand up straight, with knees slightly bent,’ the CYWH directs. ‘Place feet hip distance apart. Make sure toes are pointing forward. Keep shoulders even as you complete this exercise. Hold weights in each hand, with arms extended by your sides. Slightly bend your elbows. Place arms so that the held weights are in line (next to) with your hip/leg area. Grip weights so palms face behind you (starting position). Slowly and evenly lift right arm in front of body with a full arm extension, until your arm reaches shoulder height. Be sure to keep elbow slightly bent. You are working your right Latissimus Dorsi & Deltoid. Exhale (breathe out) as you lift arm up. Inhale (breathe in) as you evenly and slowly lower arm down to starting position. Repeat exercise for a set of eight. Repeat entire sequence on your left side.’