9 Everyday Ab Exercises To Develop Core Strength

You don’t need to spend hours, or even minutes, at the gym doing ab workouts to get a six-pack. You’d be surprised by how often you can tone your six-pack in everyday life. If you use the following core strength tips to pay close attention to how you move throughout the day, you'll see amazing changes in your abs. Below is a list of simple tips that will help you tone your core:

1. Stand evenly on two feet. 

How you bear your body weight is critical to attaining flat abs. Poor, imbalanced posture will inevitably get the best of your six-pack.

2. Fight post-meal food comas. 

When you finish eating, battle your core’s desire to lapse into an inactive food coma. Instead, lift your navel towards your chin and pull it towards your spine.

3. Sit cross-legged.

When you’re at work, eating a meal, or watching a movie, try to sit in a cross-legged position. This will allow you to sit tall while avoiding loose ab syndrome. You’re either in the dark or your legs are hidden under a table, so forget about feeling strange (no need to feel strange about taking care of yourself). Often, I even take off my shoes to be most comfortable.

4. Use your core while doing heavy lifting.

When you’re picking up your kids, pets, boxes, or lifting work-related heavy loads, use your core strength for power rather than that of your legs or back.

5. Walk with confidence and pride as though the surface below you is unstable. 

You'll immediately grow taller and slimmer as the crown of your head rises and your gait becomes lighter.

6. When you’re cooking, suck your abs away from the counter.

7. Watch TV at home lying down rather than seated. 

It’s better to stretch out in a supine position, allowing gravity to press your abs directly down toward your body, than to let your six-pack disengage and slump while seated.

8. Strongly engage your abs during sex

Sex with core strength is a great ab workout and also a fabulous pleasure booster.

9. If you teach yoga or fitness, make sure to use your core when you assist your students. 

Not only will your abs get stronger but you will also protect your body form injury.


Photo Credit: Shutterstock.com

About the Author
Julie is the founder of The Julie Wilcox Method (The JWM), an innovative approach to healthy living encompassing fitness, yoga, and nutrition. An expert across all three categories, Julie blends her life-long passion for athleticism with the mind, body, and spiritual aspects of yoga, as well as with healthy, moderate, and sustainable diet advice. While many health and wellness experts focus on one lifestyle element only–fitness, yoga, or food– the sum total of Julie’s approach is a comprehensive experience. 

Julie has contributed to MindBodyGreen since its early days and covered health and travel for Forbes Lifestyle. She completed her yoga teacher training with YogaWorks in 2006, co-founded ISHTA Yoga in 2008, which she operated and at which she taught through 2012, and then became independent to create The Julie Wilcox Method. In addition to running The JWM, Julie now teaches vinyasa yoga at New York Yoga in addition to private yoga lessons. Read more about Julie here.

Julie graduated from Harvard College in 1997 with a B.A. in English and American Literature. She completed her MFA at The American Film Institute in 2002. 
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