Stand up straight: Poor posture is a huge issue for many people, says celebrity trainer, Ellen Barrett. She says she frequently sees people walking with their ears in front of their bodies and shoulders in front of their hearts.
“If people
slouch, their stomach pooch,” Barrett says.
For a better
posture while standing, align your ears over your shoulders, shoulders over
hips, hips over knees, and knees over ankles.
Keep the fronts of the shoulders
open like a shirt on a hanger, instead of a shirt on a peg. Draw your navel to
your spine and keep your weight even on the balls and heels.
The result:
Without doing any abdominal exercise, you can look much leaner by simply
standing up straight.
Think
whole-body exercise: when it comes to abdominal strength, you shouldn’t train
the body in isolation, says Liz Neporent, president of Wellness 360, a
corporate wellness consulting firm in New York.
“People have
this misconception that the best way to strengthen the abs is to get on the
floor and do a thousand crunches,” Neporent says.
She
recommends Pilates “because the focus is the core, but it
doesn’t just work the abs in isolation.” That means you are using your
abdominals, but you are also using your arms and legs, back muscles and glutes.
Examine your
diet and digestion: “If you have abdominal fat, you can have great abdominal strength
and great posture, but you won’t have a flat abdominal or a six-pack,” Barrett
says.
“You have to change your diet and increase your energy output.” In other
words eat less and move more.
Props are
optional: For instance, strengthen your abdominals when you are at the pack,
racking leaves, taking a walk. Even while socializing at a cocktail party you
can stand straight and exhale to draw the navel to the spine.
Source: webmd.com
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