Abs Workout: Abs and Balance Exercises for Women After 50 -

Today we’re going to do an abs workout with a very special twist. (The exercises actually involve twisting so it really is a “special twist”)

Aside from twisting the body, these abs exercises are balance exercises too.

It’s no secret that a flat, toned tummy is one of the most sought after areas to achieve after 50, since menopause tends to focus all of its attention on expanding the waistline.

And with proper nutrition as well as a fabulous workout plan, you can achieve a smaller waist.

But because it’s not just about looking great (although that’s definitely a big part of it) and it’s also about living your best quality of life,

Then why not make your ab routine interesting and exercise another part of your body at the same time.

One that can drastically improve your well-being and ensure that the new, slim, physique of yours continues to live an independant and exciting path throughout your 50’s, 60’s and beyond!

In order to do this, while we train your abs we’ll also exercise your inner ear. This may sound strange, but the inner ear is just one of your body’s systems to train balance.

Let’s take a closer look at the benefits of exercising your abs and training your inner ear:

The Hour Glass Muscles:

Today the part of the abs we’ll be focusing on are known as hourglass figure abs, or the obliques.

The obliques run from your ribs down to your pelvis and consist of both an internal and an external set of muscles.

When toned, these muscles not only carve out your waistline and define the smallest part of your waist, making your pants feel looser and your midsection leaner, but these muscles also help with posture.

Strong obliques take the load off the low back and spine, especially during twisting motions.

Just a very small twist can begin to strengthen and tone the hourglass figure.

Fit tip:

In order to ensure you’re using your abs, use your shoulders as a guide. Point the shoulders in the direction you’re twisting in. Move the head last.

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Balance and Your Inner Ear:

Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom. You don’t bother turning on the light because you don’t want to wake the husband (or a half asleep you).

You stumble to the washroom and then BAM!

You accidentally slam into the side of the door (or in my case, the side of the dresser.. and right on the shin!)

You could have sworn you were walking past it. What a wake up call! Ugh!

Well, congratulations, because you’ve witnessed first hand a blunder of the vestibular system.

The vestibular system (the balance system of your inner ear) not only makes up one of the areas of balance, but it also helps you stay oriented (especially in the dark).

Exercising the vestibular system not only improves your balance, but it helps you bypass those objects in a dimly lit room.

In order to train this system, not only are you going to stand on one leg but those twists you’ll be doing to tone and tighten the tummy are an important feature for training the vestibular system too.

Fit Tip:

Moving the head and the eyes are key components to strengthening the vestibular system.

The vestibular system detects the position and movement of the head, and relies on eye movements too.

So, in order to incorporate this into your workout,

Before you actually move your head, or your body, during the workout, start by moving your eyes.

Move the eyes to where you’d like your body to move, then follow with the head and body.

Fun Side Notes:

A few episodes back I talked about the importance of contralateral movement patterns to strengthen memory and the brain, well these exercises do that too. It’s an Extra win!

And one more thing, if you’re new to balance exercises, before you try this more advanced balance workout, check out my beginner balance workout first

So, are you ready to tone and tighten the tummy while you train your inner ear?

Let’s Get Started!

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