– George Bernard Shaw

Toning the Trouble Spot: Your Lower Abs

If I had to pick the one trouble spot people complain about most it’s the lower abs. Actually, you don’t have lower abs. What? I can hear you saying, “But Amy, I feel it burning when I work them.”

Your “upper” and “lower” abs are all one muscle called the rectus abdominus. You have other muscles deeper that cross your hip joint that are activated when performing certain abdominal exercises. However, that burning sensation you feel should not be mistaken for working your “lower abs.”

You have other abdominal muscles, including the transverse abdominus which is activated simply by holding in your stomach muscles. You can “work” them while driving, at your desk or talking on the phone. Just don’t hold your breath! You also have obliques which are the muscles on the sides of your stomach that are activated with a twisting motion.

So how do you get a flat stomach? For some people genetics may preclude you from an ideal flat stomach but my motto is to do the best with what you’ve got!

First things first: if you have excess abdominal fat, doing abdominal exercises will not burn it off. That happens through a proper calorie balance between metabolism, cardio exercise and supportive eating.

To tone and strengthen your abdominal muscles you want a routine to challenge the entire muscle group and to give the muscles variety so that they keep responding. Put together any combination of exercises such as crunches, double crunches, bicycle crunches or ball crunches to name a few. There are many core-based exercises that work the abdominal muscles too by having you stabilize yourself doing other moves. You can take a Pilates class or buy a tape. Some gyms even have 30-minute ab classes (talk about killer abs.) There are many ways to whittle down your waistline to keep it fun and effective.

Message from the President:

Oh the weather outside is… strange. From east to west and in between spring is bringing some odd weather. But one thing most people agree on – it’s beautiful this time of year!

I took the time during lunch the other day to watch and listen to this pretty little bird outside of my window and watching him fly away I thought how I need to get outside more. Of course I also thought that I need to slow down and listen to the birds more but that’s another story.

Each year our exercise routines can use a little spring cleaning. Bring in some fresh and fun activities, especially the outdoor type. What would you like to do this season? Spring skiing (for those of you that don’t like it too cold) is still available in some areas. Or mountain biking? Maybe an outdoor fitness class? Be creative. Have fun.

To your health,
Amy Lundberg
Aim For It, President

Did you know that you don’t have to stretch before you exercise? Most people are surprised to hear this. Unless you have a particularly tight muscle group(s) that you find it better to stretch before exercise, you can save it for afterwards. Either way, always start out the first few minutes of exercise slowly so that you warm up your muscles, including your heart.

Did you know that potatoes contain potassium, vitamin C, fiber and several antioxidants? I think potatoes get a bad rap because usually they come fried! Check out www.potatohelp.com for recipe ideas like chipotle mashed potatoes.

Did you know that exercise can help you sleep better? ACE Fitness Matters reported in their January/February 2004 issue that a research study showed “both stretching and aerobic exercise can help improve the quality of sleep and reduce the incidence of insomnia, although those who exercise aerobically saw greater improvements” (source: Sleep, 2003; 26, 830-836) Today, that’s a benefit we can all use!

Did you know the daily fiber recommendation is 25 grams? It is shown in studies to be beneficial to the digestive tract, possibly reduce the risk of some cancers and heart disease, and slow the release of sugar into the blood stream after a meal. Fiber is found only in plant based foods—not meats. Fruits and veggies are a great source and so are many complex carbohydrates. Read labels. I recently found a tasty bread that is only 90 calories per slice, has five grams of protein and four grams of fiber – I love it!

The Fattest and the Fittest
Wondering where the fattest and fittest places to live in the United States are in 2004? According to the rankings in the February issue of Men’s Fitness here’s the scoop:

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