When you’re constantly traveling, staying in shape is a constant struggle.
I look for hotels with fitness centers. My suitcase always has a jump rope and resistance band tucked inside. The Women’s Health Workouts app on my iPhone is a godsend.
But the latest workout to really kick my butt (well, really my abs), comes from one of my beloved celebrity gossip rags, Us Weekly. Its “Five Moves for Killer Abs” worked certainly killed my abs (mine are still sore, two days later). It’s a nice reprieve from my miles-long runs on the treadmill, and I hope it lives up to its title.
Here’s the workout, with my (wuss) modifications. Let me know how you fare!
How to do it:
Lie on back with legs out-stretched. Lift one leg to a 45-degree angle while crunching toward it. Alternate legs. Do 50 reps each side.
Hitha’s input:
Do 5 on each side and switch. I needed a break at the 25 crunch mark.
How to do it:
Lie on back, legs straight out in front with ankles crossed. Raise top leg 90 degrees, crunch up and hold while lifting second leg to meet the first. Lower each leg separately. Alternate legs, doing 50 reps on each side.
Hitha’s input:
You will drive yourself CRAZY if you try to switch legs after each crunch. Switch after every 10 crunches. Inhale as you crunch up and lift your second leg, exhale as you come down and bring down the first leg.
How to do it:
Life on side with knees bent, keeping shoulders, hips and heels aligned. Lift top leg toward ceiling with knee bent, lower back down. Repeat move with a straight leg and kick up on a high diagonal. Alternate legs, doing 40 reps each side.
Hitha’s input:
Do 1o times on each side before switching.
How to do it:
Lie on back with legs together in front and arms stretched over head. Lower arms to sides as you lift legs to a 90-degree angle. Lower legs without touching floor. Do 50 reps.
Hitha’s input:
This one KILLED me. Apparently I have no strength in my lower abs. What helped was tucking my hands (flat on the ground, palms down) under my bum and doing the lower body portion of the exercise.
How to do it:
Stand with feet a bit wider than shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent. Keep hips locked, pull belly button toward spine and slide rib cage from side to side while contracting abs. Do 50 reps.
Hitha’s input:
Stand against the wall to make sure your hips don’t move. This one is probably the easiest (at least for me) out of the five.
If you want to get more out of this workout, insert a set of other exercises (push ups, planks, chair dips, squats) in between each exercise to give your whole body a tone-up.
As always, consult your physician before beginning any exercise program. I am just an aspiring fitness junkie, not a certified trainer.
