Everyone quest for a whittled waistline, but it gets harder as you age and the reason for that are hormonal changes who encourage excess calories to make a beeline for your belly.
That is where are stored as you guessed fats. So, a study conducted by the University of Vermont where tested 178 healthy women aged 20 to 60 years, it turned out that the oldest had 55% more belly fat than the youngest.
However, a bigger belly isn’t inevitable. And tummy-toning exercises can help. Also a pilates workout and training is your secret weapon. That is because it works all of your abdominal muscles. Pilates is often missed in traditional ab workouts, says LA-based Pilates instructor Michelle Dozois, who designed this Pilates workout.
If you want maximum results, you need to flatten your belly by pulling your navel toward your spine during each rep and do a Pilates workout three times a week, every other day.
1. Toe Dip
First you need to lie on your back with your legs up and bent at 90 degree. It need thighs straight up and calves parallel to the floor.
Then rest your hands at your sides, palms down and you need to keep your abs contracted and press your lower back toward the floor.
Next inhale and lower your left leg for a count of 2 (“down, down”). Then moving only from your hip and dipping your toes toward the floor (without letting them actually touch it) exhale and raise your leg back to the starting position for a count of 2 (“up, up”). You need to repeat with your right leg
and continue alternating until you’ve done 12 reps with each leg.
2. Double Trouble Leg Circles
Lie with your back on the floor, hands placed under your glutes with your legs extended straight out and your partner should also be lying on the floor across from you, with the soles of both your feet almost touching (a).
Then you need to lift your legs straight up in the air and lower them gently, your core engaged and your back flush against the floor and you need to stop when it becomes difficult to keep your back against the floor (b).
Then keep your core engaged and slowly draw a circle clockwise in the air with your feet. So, your partner should be going counter clockwise, so your feet don’t knock into each other. (c).
You need to repeat for 30 seconds, then switch to counterclockwise for 30 seconds. But if you having trouble making it through, that is if this move is tough for you, try bending your knees to 90 degrees.
3. Crisscross
Start this exercise as in the Toe Dip but with your hands behind your head, elbows out to the sides and curl up to raise your head, neck, and shoulders off the floor.
So as you inhale, rotate your torso to the right, bringing your right knee and left shoulder toward each other and extending your left leg toward the ceiling in a diagonal line from your hips and as you exhale, rotate to the left, bringing your left knee toward your right shoulder and extending your right leg.
That’s one rep. You need to do 6 reps.
4. Leg Kick
First you need to lie on your left side with your legs straight and together so your body forms one long line and then prop yourself up on your left elbow and forearm.
Next lifting your ribs off the floor and your head toward the ceiling place your right hand lightly on the floor in front of you for balance. But if this position is uncomfortable, you need to extend your left arm on the floor and rest your head on your arm.
Then raise your right leg to hip level and flex your foot so your toes are pointing forward and you need to exhale as you kick.
Next you need to swing your right leg forward as far as comfortably
possible and pulsing for 2 counts (“kick, kick”) and then inhale, point your toes, and swing your leg back past your left leg and that’s one rep. You need to do 6 reps without lowering your leg and then switch sides and repeat.
5. Side Bend
You need to sit on your left hip with your left leg bent in front of you and your left hand beneath your shoulder. And then place your right foot flat on the floor just in front of your left foot so your right knee points to the ceiling.
Next rest your right arm on your right knee. After that pull your abdominals in, press into your left hand, and lift your hips off the floor.
Then as you come up onto your left knee, straighten your right leg and raise your right arm over your head so you form a line from your right fingers to your right toes and hold for 10 to 30 seconds. Next you need to repeat on the other side.
