Over the last few weeks I have been making a conscious effort to eat more healthily and exercise at least a bit…as per my goals for 2012. What I have been finding though is that exercise takes time I don’t have and I have literally no idea where to start. That’s when Justin Devonshire contacted me about writing a guest post and I thought…hang on…a personal trainer writing on my blog…BINGO! So here is Justin’s first post, “5-Minute Fixes for a Flat Stomach”.
If you’re reading this post I’m guessing you’re like most of the other 200+ women I’ve trained. Most of them try reading books and reading articles to find the best weight loss tips, but all they find is boatloads of complicated and contradictory information that tells them nothing.
You probably feel like screaming, “Get to the point!”
If that sounds familiar, you’re in the right place. I know your time is limited and valuable, so I am going to cut through the nonsense and tell you exactly what you need to do to get a flat stomach right now.
Here are 3 Quick-Fixes you can easily fit into your schedule to start shrinking your waist right now…
Quick-Fix #1: Use the Plank Exercise (and STOP doing crunches)
To perform a plank, get into a regular push up position, up on your toes, and rest on the underneath of your forearms. Now squeeze your tummy hard and try holding it for 30 – 60 seconds.
This exercise works ALL your core muscles in one go, and burns far more calories than doing hundreds of boring, painful crunches (which actually hurt your back and give you a forward leaning, unsexy posture).
Start getting down and holding a 30-second plank as many times as you can throughout the day. If you’re in work and getting bored, the quick rush of blood-flow from doing this exercise will even wake you up and help you to focus a little!
Quick-Fix #2: Suck It Up!
Here’s another great exercise you can do if you are sat at the office all day and can’t fit in a full workout.
Simply sit up tall, back against the chair, and start sucking in your tummy and holding it as long as you can (whilst still taking breaths).
The easiest way to visualize it is to imagine you are trying to pull your belly button back toward your spine.
This will activate all your deep stomach muscles and improve your posture, making you look naturally taller and more confident.
Start by holding it for just 20 seconds, and getting used to breathing normal breaths at the same time. Then over the days build up your holding time until you can comfortably suck your tummy in for up to 5 minutes.
Doing this and the plank exercise alone will start taking the inches from your waist straight away!
Quick-Fix #3: The No-Sugar Drinks Challenge!
Cutting down sugar is obviously a fast way to stop fat getting stored on your belly. However, it’s sometimes more easily said than done.
Here is a dead simple way to cut out a LOAD of sugar from your diet and lose at least a pound or two in just one week:
Set yourself a challenge that you will not DRINK any calories for a week. Stick to water wherever possible, which will help flush excess fat and toxins out of your system. To flavour try cutting up some slices of lemon, lime or orange.
Switch to green tea instead of regular, and definitely cut out that Starbucks on the way to work!
This is just for one week. See how you feel after that week and decide if it was really that difficult to keep the sugary drinks at bay.
In reality there no ‘magic bullets’ to immediate fat-loss, but these are three of the closest things you’ll get to quick-fixes. Give them a try and let us know your results in 7 days time!
If you’re loving the results, check out Justin’s Blog:
Justin Devonshire is a woman’s fat-loss & body-toning expert. He is the owner of Bodyshape Fitness – Personal Training & Bootcamp, which is run in both the UK and Cyprus.
For more free quick tips on weight loss, toning & motivation for women, visit the Bodyshape Fitness Blog, and get Justin’s “Little Black Dress Transformation Guide” as a FREE gift right now!
30 Something Dreamer 