As we enter into the colder weather, we also wave hello to the best time to prep for bikini season.There’s no better time to whittle your waist for tummy-baring tops and body-boosting swimwear. A few oblique moves can easily add some definition to your side, so try these simple exercises for a little extra va va voom!
These five basic yet effective exercises target the obliques (the side abdominal muscles). Shaping up this area does wonders in complimenting a toned tum and waist, so don’t think that you’ve got the mid-section covered if all you’re doing are planks and crunches.
How To Do This Oblique Workout:
Kit You’ll Need:
- 3-8kg medicine ball
- Swiss ball
Beginners: Sets 2 Reps 10
Intermediate: Sets 3 Reps 15
Advanced: Sets 4 Reps 15
Related article: Flatten Your Belly And Reveal Your Sensational Core With This Killer Ab Workout
1. Ankle touches:
How to:
- Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
- Crunch your shoulder blades off the floor so that you are facing forwards.
- With arms straight and parallel to the floor, reach your right hand to your right ankle, then your left hand to your left ankle.
- Keep your shoulder blades off the floor throughout.
2. Leg circles:
How to:
- Lie on the floor with arms out to the sides flat on the floor for support.
- Hold your legs about 6 inches off the floor, extended.
- Rotate your lower body towards the left, bringing your knees in towards your chest.
- Lower to the right, keeping the knees drawn in, then extend them as your rotate back to the start.
- This should be performed in a circular flowing motion.
Related article: 5 Impressive Moves To Create Titillating Tighter Toned Arms And Abs
3. Leg twists:
How to:
- Lie on the floor with arms flat for support.
- With a medicine ball gripped between your lower legs, extend your legs towards the ceiling.
- Slowly lower your feet to the left until they almost reach the ground, then raise them to the start and lower to the right.
4. Plank circles:
How to:
- With feet on the floor and forearms on a Swiss ball, keep your body in plank position in a straight line.
- Make circular clockwise motions with your elbows for half of the set, then in the opposite direction for the rest of the set.
Related article: 4 Fabulous Exercises To Get a Flattering Flat Belly In Only 10 Minutes
5. Russian twist:
How to:
- Sit on the floor with legs bent and feet a few inches from the floor.
- Hold a medicine ball close to your chest and lean back slightly.
- Twist your upper body to the right, then to the left, keeping the medicine ball close to your chest throughout.