It might be midway through the summer, but that doesn’t mean it’s too late to whittle your middle. There are plenty of moves that promise to whip your tummy into shape in no time. Incorporate them into your regular routine and you’ll be ready to hit the beach before you know it. Start with one set of 12 repetitions and add to it as you get stronger and start to see results. Here are the best of the best.
1 Planks
Planks are a super effective move for toning your entire middle, not to mention your arms and shoulders at the same time. To do the move, get into a push-up position with your hands below your shoulders and your knees up off the ground. Lower to your forearms and your toes and hold the position for 30 seconds. Repeat several times.
Frequently asked questions
2 V-Sits
This move is pretty easy to do and you’ll definitely feel it working during and after you finish a set. To do the move, lie on an exercise mat and lift your feet 45 degrees, resting your arms at your sides. Raise your upper body as you bend your knees, then slowly return to the starting position to finish one repetition.
3 Squat and Reach
The reason squats tone your midsection is because they require a certain amount of balance. Anytime you must balance your body, it activates your core, which helps tone and tighten them. To do this move stand with your feet hip-width apart, arms at your sides. Lower your body as if sitting into a chair, while reaching your arms straight upward. Raise your body and lower your arms to finish one rep.
4 The Hundred
This move isn’t super easy, but it’s really effective for getting the muscles deep in your stomach, which helps pull things in. Start by lying on a mat with your arms at your sides. Raise your legs to a 45-degree angle and raise your arms several inches off the mat. Pump your hands 100 times, exhaling and inhaling in 5-second increments as you do so. Think you can do it?
5 The Cobra
This fantastic yoga pose is great for relaxing you and letting you find your center. Turns out it’s also perfect for helping tone your stomach so you can strut your stuff in your bikini. Lie face down on an exercise mat with your hands beneath your shoulders. Raise your upper body off the mat, pulling your shoulder blades together. Hold the move for 2 counts, then lower to the starting position.
6 Abdominal Hold
When you do this move, you suck your belly in, which contracts all the muscles, helping give them tone and definition. It’s pretty easy too! Sit on the edge of a chair with your palms on the seat of the chair. Push yourself up, holding your feet off the floor. Hold the move for at least 5 seconds. Repeat several times.
7 The Climb up
This move might see strange, but the way you move your body is super effective for toning your middle. To do it, lie on the mat with a towel or scarf wrapped around the bottom of your foot. Use the scarf to “climb” from the mat upward by lifting your upper body off the mat and toward your foot.
What exercises do you do for your belly? Are you ready to put on that bikini and hit the beach?
