A Washboard Stomach in Seven Minutes

A washboard stomach is not only good for ones personal appearance. Having a strong core section can also prevent and cure many common pains and aches. What is core strength? Core strength is having a strong core area, namely the muscles of the hips, abdomen, back and middle and upper torso. With a strong core, not only will your stomach look flatter and your midsection more toned, it can actually improve your posture and decrease the occurrence of injuries and pain in the legs and lower back.

As many people lead relatively sedentary lives these days, with hours spent sitting in a desk chair or sofa, gaining and maintaining a strong core section can be the best sort of preventative medicine, saving you money down the road in prevented doctor, chiropractor, physical therapy and maybe surgery bills. A little effort goes a long way.

A wonderful way to develop a strong core is to do the following workout. It only takes seven minutes total! Without the excuse of not having the time to work out, what is preventing you? Follow the seven exercises below to a toned belly and strong mid-section. Time yourself with a stopwatch and perform each of the exercises for thirty seconds at a time. Go right from one exercise to the next without stopping for a break. This will add up to three and a half minutes of exercise. Repeat the same seven exercises again to reach seven minutes of core work.

1. Bicycle Crunch - Lie on your back with your legs in the air, bend your knees and lift your feet off the ground. Your shins are parallel to the ground. Place your hands lightly behind your head, being sure to not exert too much force on your neck. Pull one knee towards the opposite elbow, then pull the other knee towards the opposite elbow. When repeated, the leg motion should resemble pedaling a bicycle.

2. Plank Bridge - Turn over onto your stomach. Position yourself like you are about to do a push-up. Place your hands shoulder width apart and just hold the position. Hold for time.

3. Dead Bug - Turn over onto your pack. Lift both of your arms and legs straight up into the air and hold them there. Slowly lower your right leg and left arm to the ground at the same time. Slowly raise them back to the original position. Now lower and raise the left leg and right arm. Repeat.

4. Superman - You will need to lie on your stomach, face down, for this exercise. Slowly lift both your arms and legs off of the ground. Hold for a second and then slowly lower. Repeat.

5. Push-Through - Lie on your back with your knees bent and both feet on the ground. Lift both arms straight overhead. Lift your upper body two to three inches off the ground by pushing your arms straight up. Slowly lower back down. Repeat.

6. Supine Bridge - Lie on your back with your knees bent and both feet on the ground. Place your arms next to your sides, palms down on the ground. Lift your behind off the ground until your body is a straight line from your shoulders to your knees. Lower yourself back to the ground. Repeat.

7. Crunch - Lie on your back with your knees bent and both feet on the ground. Lightly hold your hands behind your head. Slowly lift your upper body two or three inches off the ground and towards your knees. Lower it back down. Repeat.

If when you start, you are unable to go for seven minutes straight, try going through the list only once. When that gets manageable add the second set back in. Another alternative would be to start each thirty-second section and when you are unable to do anymore, rest until the next thirty-second section starts. For best results, go through this routine three times a week, always leaving a day or two in between for recovery.