Developed during in the start of 1900s, Pilates is a fitness system designed initially to improve the casualty rehabilitation of World War 1. Through Pilates, a number of soldiers that are injured regained their strength by employing exercises for stretching and stabilization.
Pilates for Health Benefits
Pilates has several benefits. It prevents potential injuries related to bones and muscles. There are also breathing techniques which can improve your lung circulation and capacity. Moreover, it advocates improvement of concentration. With this, you can manage your stress and promote relaxation.
Most Pilates exercises provide weight loss benefits. You can tone certain parts of your body. If you want to flatten your stomach, you can target your abdominal muscles.
1. Exercises to Flatten Your Stomach
To help you on your weight loss journey, here are some Pilates exercises which can help you flatten your stomach.
- Criss-Cross
You can easily work on your middle section using the criss-cross exercise. Just execute the following steps:
- Place your hands behind your head to support its base.
- Lift your head and legs to target the muscles of your abdomen.
- Start kicking side to side and twist your body towards the other leg.
- Repeat multiple times and do it on a faster pace for another round of full rotation.
2. Single-Leg Stretch
This exercise engages your abdomen by providing strength challenges. Here are the steps how to complete this:
- Lie with your pack in a neutral position, maintaining the normal s-curve of your spine
- In a table top position, raise your legs up while exhaling
- Stretch your leg in a 45-degree angle to engage your abdominal muscles
- Place your leg back and do the same to the other leg
- While maintaining your pelvis stable, engage your core abdominal muscles by repeating the stretching process by 15 times
3. Can-can
The leg routine of the famous can-can dance can be a great exercise to flatten your stomach. This may be a tough routine to complete but it provides amazing results. Here is how to complete this exercise:
- Bend your knees on a tabletop position while sitting upright
- Place your arms behind you and position it well on the mat
- Protect your spine by tucking your tailbone and extending your legs
- Engage your abdominal core by slowly raising your legs on the side
- Rotate your legs from the side through the center
- Pause slightly at the center and pull your legs down
- Repeat on the other side for another five repetitions
4. Scrambled Eggs
One of the most popular Pilates exercises is scrambled eggs. It helps you work your obliques and muscles from the abdomen. These muscles help in stabilizing your pelvis and spine. You can follow these steps to do this exercise:
- Kneel on a carriage facing your foot strap
- Place a foot strap in one of your foot and secure it tightly
- Keep your unstrapped leg lying straight on the base
- Slowly push and pull the strap engaging your core abdominal muscles
- Repeat the steps one the other leg for 7 more repetitions
5. Corkscrew
Another easy exercise in flattening your stomach is the corkscrew. It aims to target your core abdominal muscles to help you tone that part. You just need to follow these steps:
- Lie straight on your flat back and maintain your arms on your side
- Gently squeeze together your legs
- While inhaling slowly, lift both of your legs until you reach a balanced position
- Maintain your toes pointed while rolling back
- Slowly lean your body to the side until your glute touches your mat
- Circle back your legs on the other side while inhaling
- Place your legs back to the center
- Repeat the steps and complete another three sets
Conclusion
To flatten your stomach, you must engage the muscles in your abdomen. You can start by utilizing the proper gym gear and equipment. To know more about the things the you need, you can refer to the details found at Gym Gear Info.
Provided in this article are a couple of Pilates exercises which can help you strengthen your core abdominal muscles. This will help you flatten your stomach in no time.