Pilates: The Best Exercise For Toning Your Abs

Pilates is one of those exercises which utilises your core muscles in almost every move. If you want a flatter stomach and want to tone up quickly, Pilates is definitely the answer. These great exercises not only tighten your muscles but also build up your strength in your core area, which helps to improve posture and helps you to perform other exercises properly.

The Hundred

Lie flat on your back with your legs squeezed together and your arms by your sides. Lift both of your legs off the mat by a few inches, squeezing your buttocks and scooping your abs. Lift your head and look to your toes, then raise your arms over your thighs and pump your arms up and down. Take a long, steady inhale of breath for five pumps then exhale just as slowly for five pumps. Complete two to five sets and work your way up to 100 pumps – one set is ten pumps.

The Saw

Sit on the mat with your back straight and a long waist – open your arms straight out to your sides at shoulder-height and open your legs wider than your shoulders. Flex your feet from the ankles and anchor your bottom to the mat. As you rotate your trunk to the left and round over your left knee, inhale; press your right hand against the outer edge of your left foot and lift your back arm as high as possible, with your palms down. Exhale as you slide your right hand along your outer foot in three progressive sawing movements, whilst you draw back into your right hip to create a diagonal opposition for your oblique abs. Keep the weight of your lower body even on the mat, regardless of what your upper body is doing. Inhale and return to the starting position – perform three sets.

Double Leg Stretch

Hugging both of your knees to your chest with your head lifted and your elbows wide, inhale with control as you reach your legs forward and arms backwards, drawing your abs in deeply to support the spine. Exhale slowly as you deepen into the hug position, using the pull of your knees into your stomach and chest to expel more and more air from your lungs. Repeat this action six times.

Crisscross

Lie on you back with your hands layered, palm over palm, behind your lifted head, keeping your knees bent tightly into your chest. Inhale slowly and twist your torso to the left until your right elbow connects with your left knee. Straighten your right leg forward and hold it a few inches above the floor, before exhaling with control and twisting to the right, connecting your left elbow with your right knee and extending the left leg. Continue alternating sides, completing six sets of twists.

Corkscrew

Lie flat on your back with long, sturdy arms by your sides. Squeeze your legs together tightly from the backs of the upper inner thighs. Inhale slowly as you lift your legs overhead, rolling back until you’re balanced on the middle of your shoulder blades and the backs of your arms. Point your toes and exhale with control as you roll back down your spine, leaning your body slightly to the right. When the right side of your glutes touches the mat, circle your legs to the left and inhale slowly. As you do this, roll the left side of your body whilst scooping your abs and lifting your bottom – continue reversing the circle direction each time to complete three sets.

Categories: Abs, arms, fitness, inhale, inhale slowly, left, left knee, legs, lie flat, Pilates, slowly

How to Breathe Away Your Mental and Emotional Baggage

Traditional Chinese healing uses special breathing techniques that can have a big impact on your spiritual and emotional wellness. Grandmaster Erle Montaigue, a Chinese martial arts and healing instructor, explains that your breath resides between your mind, body, and spirit, and so can bring harmony to these three areas of your well-being. Plus, breathing techniques serve to clear and focus your mind, increase your energy levels, relax your stress levels and help you lose weight.

 

First and foremost, you need to learn how to breathe from your belly. Your stomach should move out and expand when you inhale, and move in and contract when you inhale. While it sounds simple, this breathing technique facilitates deeper and more relaxed breathing which, in turn, increases your lung capacity and pumps your blood with more oxygen. When there is more oxygen in your blood, your metabolism works more efficiently and waste is removed from your body better.

 

Natural breathing helps to reduce stress and alleviate anxiety, so it’s a great one to do at the end of a busy work day. Lie down in a comfortable position and place your hands over your belly button. Then you simply breathe through your nose, and use your stomach to move your hands up and down. Once you’re able to breathe naturally from your stomach throughout the day, you’re ready to use the breath to clear your mind. Sitting on a chair with your back straight and your feet flat on the floor, begin breathing through your nose (using your stomach, of course). Gradually slow your breathing, and focus on the temperature of your breath as it passes in and out of your nose. Doing this for five minutes, three or four times a day, helps to clear your mind of thoughts and relax.

 

To increase your awareness, focus and discipline, inhale as you count to five and exhale as you continue count to ten. You can then change these numbers once you become comfortable with the exercise, aiming to inhale on a count of 10 and exhale on a count of 20. This means that you’re taking two breaths every minute, and should try to do this for 10 minutes after five minutes of mind-clearing breathing. This helps to make you aware of your surroundings, in tune with your emotions, and more in line with a rational and realistic view of things.

Categories: Breathe, Breathing, Breathing Techniques, count, inhale, mind, Mind Body and Spirit, Traditional Chinese Healing