Swimming is great exercise however and
whenever you do it. But as well as using the water for fun and relaxation you can use your time in
the pool to help you in that search for a flatter stomach.
More so than air, water provides great natural resistance. Moving
through it takes effort and can exercise your muscles more fully but more
safely than many other types of exercise. It offers a low-impact way of
exercising making it better for your joints and the exercise of choice for many
age groups.
Try this exercise the next time you are in
the pool and see what we mean. Remember to
consult a medical professional before
starting any new exercise routine, and make sure that you do warm up properly.
The Dig and Jump
This involves two movements, one targeted at
your lower body and the other at the upper.
Begin by standing in water of a depth above
your navel and your chest. Then place your feet at least shoulder width apart and jump so that
your knees come to the pool's surface then force them back down again and repeat the moves
(picture a frog jumping while you are doing it and you'll get the idea). This is great for
exercising the lower body and this includes the abdominal muscles.
The second part is to work the upper body. To
start make a separate scoop with each hand.
Place your hands low in the water then bring
them to the surface and out to one side. Start by doing one hand first for three minutes then
the other. Work alternate sides to maintain a
balanced workout. Once you are comfortable
with it do both hands at the same time to exercise the entire stomach region at once.
Set realistic targets as you work towards
your health and fitness goals. Don't over exert yourself leading to injury. Start slow, know your
limitations and build on them incrementally. As you increase endurance and strength you can vary
the speed and length of the workout, and even add water gloves to increase resistance. It
is important however not to compromise on the style of movement in order to increase reps or
speed. It's better to do something well rather than quickly.
A few additional tips for exercising your
midriff
- First, a balanced diet is essential to any fitness regime. It's no use working hard only to undo all of the great work with a poor diet.
- Secondly, stay hydrated not only when exercising but in your general daily life. A good rule of thumb is to take your body weight in pounds, divide it by 2 and aim to drink that number of Ounces of water per day. This will maintain a healthy balance.
- Third, get enough rest. Get plenty of sleep but also the right kind of sleep. Sleeping on your stomach for example may make it difficult to do certain types of stomach exercise. Try to sleep in a number of positions.
Also, it may sound strange to say so but take
adequate rest from
exercise. Be sure to schedule in rest days to
any training schedule. Your body needs to
recover so your muscles can rebuild.
By
following this you will already be on the way to a toned, flat stomach.