"Abs"olutely

Having amazing abdominal muscles may make you the envy of everyone on the beach but they play an even more important role in your body. Your abdominals are at the core of everything you do. Walking, running, coughing, sneezing, bending even breathing!! Unfortunately, many of us save our abdominal routine to the end and often run out of time or mental focus to properly perform them. Your abdominal muscles are the power house of your body -- necessary to perform almost every movement.

Here are some other benefits of strong abs.:
1. Reduces the likelihood of back pain episodes.
2. Provides protection against injury by responding efficiently to stresses.
3. Improves athletic performance
4. Provides necessary support during weight training
5. Improves posture

Here are some tips to effectively train your abdominal muscles:

Abdominal exercises should be added to your program three to four times a week.

The abdominal muscles run in a variety of directions and serve a variety of functions so perform a variety of exercise and use a variety of training modalities such as medicine balls, Swiss balls, tubing, pilates, isometrics and yoga.

Don't over-train - this only leads to poor posture and muscle imbalance

Your back muscles should also be trained with abdominals to maintain balanced posture and musculature.

There are literally hundreds of exercises you can choose from based on you time availability, your musculature, your goals and your own physical abilities or limitations. For a complete abdominal routine that meets your needs call Active Image at (416) 410-8517.