Can you think of the last time you didn’t see an advertisement or link that said something along the lines of Get a Six Pack Now or Miracle Supplement Gives You the Stomach You’ve Always Wanted?
These messages are staring us in the face every day and yet even when we try everything, our bodies don’t necessarily transform how these advertisements say they will.
I’m not here to tell you that you will be able to get a six pack right away or that you can get the toned stomach you’ve always wanted by doing one exercise for four weeks. No, I’m going to tell you that it’s hard work but that it is possible as long as you stick with it. What I’ve learned over the years is that one exercise is not going to transform your body; instead, you need to trick your muscles and do different things so that you are constantly engaging your core.
To help you get started, I’ve created this list of 5 great ab workouts for women, and have included the videos, so that you can get started right away!
1. No Equipment Exercises by Fitness Blender: One of Several Ab Workouts for Women
Fitness Blender has been one of my favorite workout channels because all the videos are free and they have tons of great exercises to choose from. If you go to their website, you can filter the results to fit your needs (try typing in ‘ab workouts for women’ and see what pops up). For example, if you only have ten minutes to spare and you want to do a lower body workout that focuses on your glutes, you can type in those details and it will pull up all the videos that meet your criteria.
The video I’ve chosen is just one of the great ab workouts for women that I would recommend from Fitness Blender because it engages your entire core, including your obliques. You will also get a quick dose of Pilates as well. All you need is a soft surface or exercise mat and ten minutes of your time!
2. Blogilates Lower Belly Flattener
Oh yes, the dreaded lower abdominals that us women struggle to target. Some females like to call it the “pooch” and others just gave up trying to suck it in at all, but have no fear, Blogilates is here! I started working out with Cassey Ho, Blogilates founder, a few months back and have been hooked since. She definitely has a very bubbly personality but that helps on those days when you just feel like giving up.
Ab workouts for women need to target the lower belly because that seems to be where a lot of us struggle with fat, or just muscle definition in general. In this video, you’ll be taken through five effective exercises in just ten short minutes! If you find that you can’t do the exercises like Cassey does, just do the best you can. As long as you feel the burn (not pain), you’re doing it right!
3. Jessica Smith: Shape Magazine Fitness Contributor Demonstrates Standing Exercises
I don’t know about you, but I get bored of doing exercises on the floor all the time. I decided that it was time to do some research and find some standing ab workouts for women so that I could change my routine up a bit. That’s when I came across Jessica Smith’s awesome 13 minute standing abdominals video. By standing, you are able to incorporate more muscles in your body which can lead to a higher calorie burn. In addition, you will be improving your balance, especially when you have to lift one leg up for a short amount of time.
Once again, no equipment required and it only requires a short amount of time – no excuses!
4. BeFiT Video: Get Ready to Feel the Burn
Ab workouts for women should incorporate a wide range of exercises so that all of your core muscles are engaged, and this BeFiT video does just that. As with all of the other workouts listed, this video is available for free on YouTube and does not require any additional equipment. Although ten minutes may seem like a short amount of time, it may actually feel longer when your muscles are burning and you aren’t sure you can keep going.
Remember, change doesn’t happen overnight and you are going to have to be sore for awhile if you want to get results. Why do our muscles get sore? The short answer is that they have to tear so that they can build back up and be stronger. Although you can’t completely avoid this, it does help to get a good warm-up and cool down in, as well as some stretching.
5. Jillian Michaels- Need I Say More?
The first four ab workouts for women that I have listed are short and sweet. Well, I’m not messing around when I tell you that this video is probably going to make you feel like your core is about to explode. Yes, Jillian Michaels is the master at making your body shake to the point where you feel like you need to scream just to get through the entire exercise routine.
This one is long – clocking in at 35 minutes and 43 seconds. If you haven’t exercised in a long while, you may want to start out with one of the shorter videos that I have posted above. For those of you who are ready to take on Jillian Michaels’ video, mentally prepare yourself! It’s all mind over matter for this one. Stay confident in your ability, push yourself, and make sure you have some positive self-talk going on.
It seems like life is always getting in the way of our desire to exercise. Whether you have children, work a full-time job, or you’re busy with hobbies, you may feel that adding something else to your already hectic schedule just isn’t possible. Here are my suggestions for other ways you can engage your core without taking time out of your regular day activities:
- When you play peek-a-boo with your child, lay on your back as you would to do a crunch and then have your child stand by your legs. Hide your face, crunch up, and then remove your hands and say “peek-a-boo.” Put your hands over your eyes and then go back down to the floor. Repeat.
- Practice good posture at work by rolling your shoulders back and sucking in your stomach throughout the day. If it helps, say something to yourself like “abs to spine” so that you remember to engage your core while you are sitting.
- Before you get into the shower, do some quick standing ab exercises, such as a side crunch or cross crunch.
Remember – Patience is Key
Getting in shape requires a lot of patience and determination. You may begin to feel discouraged because you don’t notice any results after a week of doing these various ab workouts for women, but I encourage you to give it time and to keep pushing yourself. You will notice that changes slowly start to occur. Use that as your motivation to get through the tough workouts and try those that you may have thought you couldn’t complete.
Even if you only have time for a quick five minute exercise routine before you head off to work, make those five minutes count in every way possible. Exercising is a lifestyle change, but it’s one that has many benefits and has the ability to lift your mood, so what are you waiting for?
