The Best Ab Exercises for Women in 2018

What motivates you to do your ab workout? Sure, it would be nice to have a sculpted stomach or six pack abs, but we all know that the real motivator is being able to pull off that summer swimsuit with confidence!  Since women tend to be wider through the pelvis and have a longer waist compared to men, this can make it challenging for them to get flat, firm abs. So how can you do it? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered!

Muscles to target:

 

 

  • External abdominal obliques – These muscles are present on your sides. You can feel them just beneath your arms, along your ribcage.
  • Internal abdominal obliques- These muscles lie underneath your external obliques.
  • Transversus abdominus –  These are the deepest muscles. They run horizontally around your midsection.
  • Rectus abdominus – They help flex your spine and help you walk.

 

 

How do you work out these muscles? Here are a few exercises for some serious ab strength building that will target all these muscles.

 

Plank Crawl Out

 

  1. Stand up tall and keep your feet together.
  2. Bend your hips and touch the floor. Walk your hands out until you reach a push-up position.
  3. Crawl your way back up to the starting position by inching your hands backward. Bend at the hips again and lift yourself back up to the standing position, when your feet are flat on the floor.crocodile-walk

Side Plank

 

  1. Begin from your left side, place your elbow directly below your shoulder and your forearm perpendicular to your body.
  2. Contract your abs and lift your hips off the floor until your body makes a diagonal line from your shoulder to your feet.
  3. Try to hold this position for 30 to 45 seconds.
  4. Switch sides and repeat.sideplank-thumb-960x540

Boat Pose

 

  1. Sit upright with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
  2. Lean back and lift your legs off the floor.
  3. Extend your arms out straight, palms up. Your body will form a V shape.
  4. Hold for 30 secondstoned-woman-doing-the-boat-pose-in-fitness-studio_13339-202921

The takeaway

Exercises like these will help you strengthen your ab muscles and improve your posture. These workouts are only effective when combined with a balanced diet. Have any favourites? Let us know below!

References:
https://www.healthambition.com/best-ab-exercises-women/