Health Benefits of Strong Ab Muscles for Women
We all know that incredible well-defined abs look great on women. Even when I see other women with muscle definition in their midsection it grabs my attention. I think most will agree that the reason six-pack abs look so incredible is that they are hard to achieve.
A famous saying from Arnold Schwarzenneger “abs are made in the kitchen” and there is a lot of truth to that, mainly because in order for the abdominal muscles to be visible you require low body fat.
Strong abdominal muscles also contribute to core strength.
Many of you may want to know — does core strength really matter? If it does, then what are the health benefits of strong abdominal muscles for women? In this article, we take a look at the importance of strengthening your ab muscles, along with the positive impact it can have on your health and well-being.
You have probably heard your gym friends or the media speaking about “core strength”. I know it is a huge topic of conversation among some people.
I learned that doing ab exercises did not mean that I was going to look like those huge female bodybuilders. It is about strengthening your core muscles and starting a healthy lifestyle.
What are some of the benefits of a strong core?
While the phrase core strength seems to be a buzzword among fitness gurus, several people may not be completely aware of what a strong core really means, or how important it is for women.
In fact, core strength does not exactly mean you have gorgeous six packs. It primarily refers to having a solid source of strength, balance, and power, which are all essential in keeping your body stable and well-supported.
A strong core promotes longevity and vitality no matter what your age is.
Every movement in your body originates from your core, which is made up of muscles including the ones located in your hips, pelvic floor, abdominals, and lower back.
Strong Core and Pregnancy
For women who are trying to get pregnant, strong abdominals are necessary to prevent back pains and injuries. In addition, core strength is important among pregnant women because this enables them to push harder during labor without experiencing as much pain and exhaustion.
Labor pains are also less intense among women who have strong lower back and abdominal muscles. As a result, delivery and recovery are quicker and easier.
Reasons why you should boost core strength:
1. Simple tasks require core body strength
Even simple daily tasks that we probably don’t think about depends on your core such as picking up an item off the floor, tying your shoelaces, standing, bending over, sitting and dancing. Dressing up, going up the stairs and taking a bath are also basic tasks that call on a strong core for your convenience and comfort.
Since these movements are inevitable in your daily life, you might as well work on your core muscles to do all these without much effort.
2. Make work easier
Even when your job is on the sedentary side such as typing, making phone calls, or working on the computer for hours, these still rely on a stable core as you sit at your desk or stand to walk from one area at the office to another. With a weak core, combined with poor posture, these tasks can cause back muscles to become sore and stiff.
3. Engage in sports and other physical activities
Working out, playing sports, lifting and carrying your baby, doing household chores, and nearly any movement you make is made easier when your core is strong. Your body also remains stable and supported, and you can move in various directions while maintaining your balance.
These are only a small portion of benefits from training your abdominal muscles.
The hype about working out abs
Everyone knows that, more than anything else, a perfect body can be defined by a great set of abs. There’s very little that’s more attractive than a tightly-carved midsection. A set of perfect six pack abs screams out for attention — and that’s created a world that’s crazy about the perfect ab workouts for women.
That means we’re now surrounded by an incredible number of ab training gimmicks, ab exercise gadgets and “foolproof programs,” which allegedly will give you the perfect abs in a month — or a week — or a day.
Despite all of these miracle products and fabulous information, most women still haven’t come close to developing decent abs, let alone great ones. A woman’s average waist size has now reached an all-time high, but you don’t need us to tell you that — just look around. You see it everywhere you look.
That leads to one question: why?
Quite simply, all of these “miracle” programs have only one component: traditional exercise. And the truth is that you can’t carve that midsection into shape without burning off your excess belly fat. You can work your abs all day and night, but unless you’re doing the right type of workout, you’re not going to get much of anywhere.
Thankfully, there are terrific exercises which will melt away that belly fat while also carving out a perfect six-pack.
So what are the right type of ab workouts for women, to accomplish both goals?
A training routine that focuses on full body resistance.
This will be the centerpiece of a program to lose belly fat through exercise, because of the high-level stimulation your metabolism will receive as you work several of your muscle groups at the same time.
The routine should include exercises like the squat press combo and deadlifts. Each of them burns a ton of calories while you’re doing the workout; but they also boost your metabolism, meaning your body will be literally forced into burning fat for hours.
High-intensity cardio workouts
Activities like jumping rope, sprints, bodyweight jumps, and power walks will burn a lot more calories, while also boosting your metabolism. 1(fasted state). These workouts can be tough, but because they’re so intense they take a lot less time than you’d expect. You can even see great results with workouts as short as ten minutes.
Ab exercises will also give your an entire body a workout.
Forget those “isolated” exercises that so-called experts tout for developing perfect abs — they won’t do anything to burn off belly fat.
What you need are “turbo” ab exercises like med-ball explosive pikes; they’ll increase your heart rate and force your body into burning lots of calories. That means you’re losing that stubborn body fat while also sculpting those abs.
Eating properly
The number one reason people are obese or develop excess belly fat is due to chronically-high levels of insulin 2.
Experts say that you should try to build your diet around whole foods such as lean proteins like chicken and turkey breasts, fish and egg whites; vegetables, fruits, and nuts; whole grains and a limited amount of fat-free dairy products. And of course, that means avoiding flour, sugars, processed foods, and saturated fat. That will keep your insulin levels — and your body fat — down.
Ab workouts you can do in the house? Lying on the floor and doing a bunch of crunches might seem productive — but it’s not even close.
If you’re just starting out, crunches only help a little; after you’ve worked out for a while, your body will be so used to the resistance that you’ll get no positive effect. Additionally, crunches will only work your abs in a single pattern (trunk flexion); you need a lot more than just one ab exercise for a full and effective workout.
You need to target all the different functions and regions of your abdomen.
There are some great sets of six-pack ab workouts for women that will do that — and you can do them just about anytime and any place. But without detailed knowledge of physiology or anatomy, and without running out and buying a lot of expensive equipment, how would you even know where to start?
That’s an easy one: you’d do exactly what we did — you begin a solid ab workout routine.
So what are the best ab exercises that can build a solid core and help you achieve six pack abs?
That’s pretty easy, below are some of the best ab exercises women can do and most of them can be done in the comfort of your own home.
Reverse Crunches, and Straight Body Side Crunches
Both of these exercises can be done at home and are done on the floor.
Put a mat on the floor, and lie on your back. Start by flexing both hips and knees, so they’re at 90-degree angles. Slowly flex your knees and hips to ninety-degree angles, and then flex your abdominal muscles so that you bring your knees toward your chest, with your rear rising from the floor in order to keep a constant knee angle.
Bring your knees and hips back to the 90-degree angle. That’s a Reverse Crunch; do three sets of 25, with thirty seconds of rest between each set.
Next, roll onto your side. Keep your legs straight, and your hands locked together as you extend them straight up over your head — so that your whole body is lined up straight. Now, left your arms and legs up at the same time, so that neither is touching the floor. Hold them up for five seconds, then return them to the floor. That’s a Straight Body Side Crunch; do three sets of twelve, resting thirty seconds between each set.
Planks
Position yourself on the floor like you’re going to do a push-up; but instead, rest the weight of your body on your toes and forearms. Your abs must be held tight, and your body, especially your hips, should be in a straight line, almost like a board (that’s why it’s called a Plank). Hold that position for 30 seconds, and do it a total of three times with 30 seconds of rest between each one.
Seated Russian Twists with Leg Cycles. (don’t worry, it’s easier than it sounds)
Stay on the floor with your arms crossed across your chest; each hand should grasp the opposing shoulder (you can also do this with a medicine ball or light dumbbell). Now, slowly lean backward so that your upper body forms a 45-degree angle with the floor.
Turn your trunk to the right — and at the same time, pull your right knee up toward your chest, as your left elbow touches your right knee. Now, smoothly rotate your trunk to the left, and repeat the action. That’s one complete rep; do 25 of them, rest for 30 seconds, and repeat twice more.
That’s all it takes — a few minutes and no special equipment — an easy yet complete ab workout for women.
Don’t put off work on that six-pack. Start now, and you’ll start to see the results before you know it.
What kind of ab exercises will give you a six-pack worth showing off? It seems pretty obvious: the crunches, the leg raises — you know the stuff.
Conclusion
Building a strong core is important for women of all ages, besides getting stronger if you focus on doing at least 3 of the exercises mentioned above 2–3 times a week along with some daily cardio you not only will become stronger you will look and feel better.
You can learn more fitness tips and see some of my top supplement reviews on my blog here https://womenandmuscle.com
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