Last week we talked about core strength and the importance of having strong abs. Here’s some different ways to work your abs other than doing situps.  Get into a plank posistion, with your feet tucked under and resting on your forearms.  Make sure your body is in a straight line from your head through to your  heels – your hips should not be sagging down.  Holding this position for as long as you comfortably can will increase your core strength but for an extra workout, raise and lower your legs a small distance, one at a time, alternating.  Make sure your hips don’t sag as you do this and that your shoulders are down away from your ears.

Another great ab exercise is shown in picture 2. From lying on your back, bend your knees and place your feet on the floor directly under your knees. Press your arms into the floor and push your hips up, relaxing your neck.  Breathe out as you raise up then hold the position.  As you lie down curl your spine so that your upper back touches the floor first, then the small of your back, then your lower back. Once this becomes easy, then try raising one leg (then the other) up to the ceiling, without letting your hips sag down.

Next time we’ll talk about upper body strength…