One of the easiest ways to strengthen your abdominal muscles -- and support your back -- is through good posture.
You may feel like you're already standing straight, but in reality, most of us stand like the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Practice good posture by bringing your head and neck back. The key element is breathing in to tighten your gut. That's the component that lifts your chest and will give you Marine-like posture.
Sometimes the smallest changes in your life can lead to the biggest results. Sucking in your gut while you do crunches, or even when you take the elevator, is a good example. It helps your body not only look younger -- by skimming a couple of inches off your middle and adding them to your lungs/chest -- but it also helps your body get stronger, because you're engaging your abdominal muscles.
Here are the five steps to perfect posture:
1. Pull your shoulder blades back slightly toward each other and down away from your ears.
2. Lift your chest up and out.
3. Pull your head back just enough to keep it in line with your spine.
4. Position your pelvis or hips to create or maintain a natural arch in your lower back.
5. Pull your belly button in toward your spine without changing or tilting your hips or losing the arch in your lower back.
All About YOU: Stand Up Straight
Prudent Plan
Healthful weight loss requires carefully monitoring bone health, too.
Younger, obese women who chronically diet may be at increased risk for low bone mass and osteoporosis, a recent study suggests. Both conditions could increase the risk of fractures later in life. Eat a healthy, well-balanced diet and get plenty of weight-bearing exercise to keep bone mass up while you slim down.
Low body mass increases the risk of osteopenia and osteoporosis, conditions that increase bone fracture risk. However, obese women may suffer from these conditions as well. A recent study of 78 young, Caucasian women who were chronic dieters revealed that 31 percent of the women had osteopenia or osteoporosis due to restrained eating patterns. If you need to lose weight, do so by eating healthfully and make sure to get at least 1,200 milligrams of calcium and 400 IU of vitamin D per day through diet or supplements. Also, include walking, cycling, lifting weights, and other weight-bearing exercise in your workout routine to help build and maintain bone mass.
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