After a certain age, if you have not been consistent about working out and your eating habits have slipped, you may recognize some changes about your body. You may experience lower energy levels, slower metabolism, and may notice some weight gain around your midsection. This is very common, especially if you’re a woman, because our bodies were made differently, and after child-bearing years and hormonal changes we tend to put on a little more fat around the belly!

 

Although this is completely normal, when you’re not able to move like you used to, it can be frustrating and slow you down, so you may be wondering how to get back into shape so you can slip into those favorite jeans without having to suck in your stomach!

 

A very common misconception that a lot of ladies have is that you only need to focus on ab work and exercising your core to get the results.

 

Though a part of it is true, and you should add core work into your overall fitness routine, the real way to tone up that belly and shed a few pounds is through a solid nutrition plan and a safe, well-balanced exercise program.

 

Since today’s blog is about fitness, we will focus on the exercise part and give you a few ideas on how to get those results you are looking for!

 

Instead of working your abs to fatigue by doing 50 crunches each day, it’s important to know that we should focus on training the entire body as opposed to just that one problem area.

 

It’s also crucial to incorporate different areas of training into to the mix for optimal functioning. This includes including mobility work, core, power, strength training, as well as cardio and conditioning.

 

So, why do we aim for a multi-faceted, total body workout when all we want is a flatter stomach?

 

Because essentially, your body an interconnected machine consisting of a lot of different parts that all work together! Think of it as a car… If you don’t change your oil, eventually your engine is going to go caput. If your engine is down, you can’t get any other parts to work either and essentially you become immobile.

 

Our bodies work the same way. Though core is a huge component that’s responsible for a lot of stability, there are other elements that need work for top performance. For example, if you never strengthen your glutes, they won’t be able to stabilize your pelvis and cause it to tilt forward. This may put pressure on your lower spine and pose an increased risk for injury.

 

Going back to your midsection, if you only focus on core work and neglect the other parts eventually this may lead to faulty movement patterns and make you unsafe.

 

If you have a workout program in place and are looking for some ideas to activate and strengthen the core, check out the below 3 exercises you can use to help!

 

If you’re new to fitness, or haven’t exercised in a while and looking get back on track so you can confidently rock that two-piece this Summer contact Core Principles for a free strategy session today!

 

Bear Hold – This exercise is great for core activation and building a lot of tension in the upper part of your body.

 

Plank – Planks are great for building core strength, and if you do them correctly they can tone up your entire body including the arms, shoulders, core, butt and thighs.

 

KB Deadbug With Leg Extension –This exercise is a little more advanced and great for toning your belly. If fully extending your leg is too much of a challenge, try bending your knees while lowering the legs to the floor.