The way you look weighs heavily on the way you feel. If you’re serious about slimming down, losing your love handles and altogether (and once and for all) melt away your muffin top, there’s only one true remedy that works for the long haul—work them out, and see the results! When you switch up your usual sit-up routine with these three following exercises, you’ve become living proof that ‘feeling the burn’ burns off excess mid-section fat…once and for all.
Lying Hip Twists
Lying hip twists are a fantastic everyday workout to get you feeling the burn in your middle (so that you know you’re making progress right off the bat!) start by lying down on your back, and place your arms and hands down by your sides, with the palms facing up. Raise your legs so that your knees are bent, and then slowly move them simultaneously to the left (until they touch the ground). Lift them back up and repeat the same movement, but to the right. Lift them back up to the middle, and down to the ground. Repeat 20-25 times.
Bicycle Crunches
If you’re serious about improving your mid-section (and willing to actively work out correctly to abolish your muffin top for good!) there’s no better way to score that six-pack that with a ‘change up’ of the usual sit-up routine. Bicycle crunches are the perfect exercise to target your oblique muscles and change it up!
Start by lying down on your back, and place your hands behind your head. Bring your knees to your head, but as you do, make sure to pull your stomach in. Your chest should meet your knees, and when they do, extend your left leg straight out, and begin a ‘pedaling’ motion with both legs (as though you’re riding a bike). Flex your abdominal muscles while you’re pedaling, and continue this motion for 20-30 seconds. You’ll feel the burn within the first five!
Jack Knife
If you want to give your body a break from the usual high intensity core workout, the jack knife abdominal exercise will give you the results you want (without the intensity). Begin by lying down with your back completely flat on the floor (it may be helpful to use a mat for support). Raise your arms and extend them over your head and on the floor straight behind you. In one solid motion, raise your legs and your arms up to meet each other in the middle (so that your bottom is the only body part that needs balancing.) Hold for about two seconds, and then lower yourself back down to the starting point. Repeat 20-30 times.
