Pilates for a Flat Stomach
Do you want a Summer Six-pack? It’s more than working out! Find out what it takes!
Everyone these days is looking for 6 pack abs. Some think if they did a whole lot of crunches they will get the 6 pack. However, there are more than crunches to consider.
Have you thought about using Pilates for a flat stomach?
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A woman came up to me and told me her doctor told her she had to lose 4 inches around her waist. She wanted to know what she could do. If you want to lose excess inches around your waist, just doing crunches won’t help. You have to do cardiovascular exercise to lose adipose tissue. You can continue to do crunches so that when you do lose the weight, you will have nicely toned abs.
If you are not one to stay at the gym and do all kinds of crunches, may I suggest to you a Pilates class. I always say that Pilates works the abdominal area from the inside out. Beginning with your breathing.
Do you want a Summer Six-pack? It’s more than working out! Find out what it takes!
Pilates breathing is much different than Yoga breathing. With Pilates breathing you inhale through your nose and exhale through the mouth. By exhaling through the mouth, all the air from the lungs are forced out as the abdominal cavity is compressed by the respiratory muscles. The breathing in itself uses the deep intercostal muscles and the transverse abdominis.
These muscles are important for breathing and stabilizing the rib cage. Before there is any progression into Pilates exercises, the breathing should be mastered and a feeling of awareness should take place.
There is the neutral spine and the imprint spine. The neutral spine is just that, when you are laying on a mat, there is a slight arch in the back. The imprint spine is when the lower back is pressed into the mat. This is a great way to think about any abdominal exercise. The lower back always presses into the mat. That helps to keep the abdominals engaged.
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Some warm up exercises are the Ab Prep, The Hundred, and
the Half Roll Back. Some basic workout exercises in Pilates for a flat stomach, are The Roll Up, Leg Circles, Single Leg Stretch, and a Shoulder Bridge. The more advanced Pilates exercises include the Teaser, Ab Rollover, and the Corkscrew.
All the exercises I listed above are done specifically for the abs. Don’t forget, we also have to work the low back for complete core stabilization. There should never be an imbalance in muscle groups. You need to keep the back just as strong as the abs.
Some of the low back exercises include: the Heel Squeeze, Leg Kicks, The Breast Stroke, and Swimming, all done in the prone position. Other exercises good for the low back are the Shoulder Bridge and the Spine Stretch Forward.
This is merely a compact explanation of what Pilates has to offer. There is equipment that can be used including a stability ball, a small Pilates ball, and the Ring to name a few. Then there is the Reformer, which is not only used for the abs, but for a complete body workout.
Don’t discount Pilates as a formidable force for achieving a flat stomach with 6 pack abs. Pilates is very controlled and precise.
I’ll have more on Pilates in the coming weeks.
