Shrink that belly and eliminate back pain

Wanna get rid of back pain?  A few ab exercises might do the trick… and your tummy will look better, too!

When I began my cycling training, I noticed that my lower back would hurt after every ride. It was quite similar to the pain I experienced when my babies were little and I carried them and nursed them a lot. Little did I know that my back pain had everything to do with weak abs.

A trainer at our local YMCA showed me some very simple exercises to strengthen my abdominals and alleviate the back pain.

As an added bonus, I noticed my belly shrinking and my muffin top going away and, well, I liked that result, too (as did my husband!)

I am not a doctor. I am not an expert anything. But I do know that these exercises always make a huge difference for me.. I can begin to see results in about a week. And, the beauty is, they take just a few minutes to do and can be done just about anywhere, almost anytime.

So, what do you do? Here goes:

Plank
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Hold (and keep) your body flat/ straight, pulling in your abs and rest (haha) on your elbows and bent toes.

Hold for 20 seconds and repeat for three sessions. Add hold time as the days progress, working up to 2 minutes per hold.

Super Man Lifts

Rest on your stomach with your arms straight ahead.

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Pull your arms and legs straight up and out then drop back down. (see photo) 20 times. Pause and repeat for three sets total.

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I typically pull my body into child’s pose for a quick rest between the three sets.

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V sit

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Lie down, tighten your abs and pull yourself up, bending your knees, keeping your feet together and your back straight. Hold your arms straight in front of you. Hold for 20 seconds and repeat for three sessions. Add hold time as the days progress, working up to 1 minute per hold.

Do these exercises every single day and you WILL see a difference.

This post is linked to Tutorial Tuesday at Smockity Frocks.

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Amy

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  • Elizabeth

    OW! Are you sure you are supposed to hold those 20 seconds? How about 5 seconds????? :)

  • http://miscellaneousmusings-x.blogspot.com Celee

    Swimming does wonders, as well. That’s probably why it’s such great cross-training for cycling.
    .-= Celee´s last blog ..Memorial day at the ranch =-.

  • http://www.readhearseefeel.blogspot.com RuthintheDesert

    Several of those exercises are part of a yoga routine that I do….far less frequently than I should. I lost 29 pounds on the flat belly diet and now I just need to tone up a little.
    .-= RuthintheDesert´s last blog ..Psalms in 60 Days =-.

  • http://crispy-not-crunchy.blogspot.com Cheryl@SomewhatCrunchy

    I seriously need to get on board with exercise. I’ve gained so much weight. it’s bad. My metabolism has slowed to nothing and I’m eating all the wrong things. But I’m working toward little changes every day.
    .-= Cheryl@SomewhatCrunchy´s last blog ..Remove Hair Build-Up Naturally =-.

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  • http://www.smockityfrocks.com Smockity Frocks

    Thanks for linking to my Tutorial Tuesday, Amy! I’m going to give these a try… as soon as I finish my Cap’n Crunch.

  • http://www.krististephens.com Kristi Stephens

    Now if I would only DO these consistently… :)

    Thanks for the encouragement!
    .-= Kristi Stephens´s last blog ..Come visit me at the dig! =-.

  • Heather H

    You look amazing! I’ll try anything you say :) thanks for the tips

    -heather (@wholelivinggal)