The Waist-Cinching Workout for Toned Abs and Obliques

Define your waistline with this strengthening routine that gives your obliques some love

JEN WEAVER

Give your workout routine a new twist—literally. These six moves hit all of your major muscle groups with extra emphasis on your obliques to whittle your middle. Move from one exercise to the next without resting, then repeat this four-minute circuit three times with a 1-minute break in between sets. In less than 15 minutes, you’ll be on your way to defining your waist. All you’ll need: a 6- to 10-pound medicine ball or dumbbell.

—Amy Roberts, NASM-CPT

MOVE 1Criss-Cross Jacks

JEN WEAVER

Get your heart rate pumping with this variation to the standard jumping jack. Jump out to widen your feet and send your arms into a T position (A), then jump in, crossing your legs and your arms (B). Repeat, alternating the cross of your hands and feet. Do 20 reps.

MOVE 2Squat To Twisting Overhead Press

JEN WEAVER

Hold a medicine ball or dumbbell goblet-style in front of your chest (A). Sit back into your squat (weight in your heels, sending your butt back) (B). As you stand, press your arms straight up while twisting your torso so you’re turned to one side (C). Squat again, straightening out your upper body on the way down; on the way up, press and twist to the opposite side. That’s one rep. Do 8-10 reps.

MOVE 3Plank Curl-Unders

JEN WEAVER

Set yourself in a plank position, placing a dumbbell in line with the heel of your left palm. Shift your weight into your left hand and reach for the weight with your right hand (A). Pick up the weight and pivot up into a side plank, raising the weight toward the ceiling with your arms in a T position (B). Rotate your arm back down so your right hand curls under your left forearm (C). Do 8-10 reps then switch sides. (Plank too tough? Try it on your hands and knees.)

MOVE 4High-Knee Corkscrews

JEN WEAVER

Standing up straight, raise one knee and bend the opposite elbow (A), twisting at your midsection to bring the two joints to tap. Repeat to the opposite side (B). Do 20 reps.

MOVE 5Reverse Lunge with Side Twist

JEN WEAVER

Stand with your feet parallel, holding a medicine ball or dumbbell in front of your stomach (A). Step one foot backward into a lunge (B), and turn your torso so the weight crosses your front leg (C). Step forward to start position. Alternate sides for 8-10 reps. (Make it harder by doing all reps on one side then switching.)

MOVE 6Twisted Box Pushups

JEN WEAVER

Stand with your feet together, in line with a box and a few feet away from it. Place your hands against the box, then turn your torso so you’re resting on the outside of one foot with your legs stacked (A). From this position, do 8-10 pushups (B). Repeat on the other side. (You can make this move easier by doing the pushups against a wall.)

Source:- http://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/abdominal-exercises

Belly Dance is good for overall body toning

Belly Dance is Good for Overall Body Toning Belly dance works on so many levels...... A regrettable aspect of modern life is that we don't use our bodies enough. Computers and cars mean we sit and stay inactive so much and we can't do anything about that. But we can find something energetic and fun to do outside those times! Muscles that don't get used much become "flabby" looking.  Conversely well toned muscles look shapely. With our style of energetic and celebratory belly dance your legs, bum and arms will become more shapely and your waist will pull in as the obliques (diagonal muscles from the ribs to the hip) tone up, particularly with our style of belly dance. Kylie Minogue swears that her shape, particularly her bum comes from dancing. Our style of belly dance uses all the muscles in the body in a really enjoyable way. What is of particular significance is the way all the smaller underlying muscles get used. The problem with conventional muscle training regimes is that they tend to focus on only the large really obvious muscle groups and there can then be a tendency to develop a "hard" muscular look.  The belly dance we do tends to use all the muscles more evenly so you tend to develop a nice overall tone as the pictures of Zehara show. Yet Zehara has never done any physical training other than her dancing. (Other than an odd bit of stretching here and there).  Our classes are upbeat and rely on generating celebratory and uplifting atmosphere created by charismatic and expert belly dance teachers, good sound systems and using the best World Music around.

Go to Zehara's site to learn more  http://www.zehara.co.uk/healthbenefits.htm