Abs, abs, abs. Abs are all over the media – tone your abs, flaunt your abs, exercise your abs! We see pictures of perfectly toned and fit abs everywhere, and they leave people wondering why their abs don’t look anything like the pictures. There are a lot of myths and scams out there regarding toning your abs, and people grab onto them, thinking that they are the “miracle cure” for their belly fat.
Some of these myths and scams include pills, hard diets, teas, treated food, crunches, ab machines, and many more. First of all, none of the pills, teas and treated food will keep the weight off of you long term, and many are actually very harmful to your body. As for the ab machines and crunches, these may work to tone your abs, but no one will ever be able to see it because of the fat still covering your stomach! The only thing that works to exercise your abs and effectively get rid of belly fat is cardio.
No matter how toned you want your abs to be, and how much you want to show off your muscled abs this summer, don’t be fooled into a workout routine that leaves out cardio. You can do all of the other exercises you want, and work out more than ever, but at the end of the day, you will still be frustrated about the layer of fat covering your abs. The only solution that will get rid of that fat is cardio – and lots of it! Don’t worry – this doesn’t mean you have to stop the other exercises altogether; it just means that cardio should be the priority of your workout routine.
Any form of cardio will work to eliminate belly fat, but there are some that combine cardio will ab exercises, and many people prefer these to the more general cardio activities. A lot of exercise DVDs are doing this now, and most are fairly inexpensive. Hip Hop Abs is a great example of how you can combine cardio with ab exercise, and any kick boxing routines will also work. If you are looking to save money and tone your abs more naturally, there are many things you can do that will work. Here are the most common exercises that will combine cardio and toning for your abs:
- Running & Walking: If you like to walk or run outdoors, this is a great way to get rid of fat on your abs (and everywhere else for that matter!) When walking/running be sure to keep your abs flexed and tight, and remember to breathe. When running, lift your knees high. This will contract your abs and help to tone them.
- Skipping Rope: Remember how much fun that was when you were a kid? You can skip rope inside or out, and entertain your kids at the same time!
- Elementary School Gym Exercises: Get your kids involved with this one. You can ask them what they did in gym class, and to teach you how. Gym class hasn’t changed that much, and many of the exercises you did as a kid, they are still doing today. For example, jumping jacks, burpees, up downs, etc. These are great ways to have fun, relive your childhood and get your abs in shape!
- Sports: There are many opportunities out there for adults to play sports, and most sports (no, not golf!) combine cardio with ab toning exercise. Playing sports is also an excellent chance to spend quality time with your kids.