Walk Talk Series
Day 14 – Exercising Your Abdominals
Think: Goal Reflection
Look back at your goals you set in Week 1. How do you feel about them now? Are they still realistic, measurable, achievable but challenging enough? Have you thought of a new direction to take?
Today’s Walk
Rest Day Walking for health or weight control it is best to walk most days of the week. Take a rest day as needed, as often as every other day. Just be sure to get back on the trail!
Crosstraining -Abdominals
Good walking posture depends on having abdominal muscles to pull in opposition to the back muscles, but walking does nothing to tone your abs. You need to do that after your walking workout, every other day.
These exercises for your abs incorporate dynamic moves that involve multiple muscles and help work the abs in a more functional way. By involving more muscles, you’ll burn more calories during your workout, which is a plus if you’re trying to reduce body fat and trim your middle. The following exercises offer a variety of moves, from beginning to advanced, using a variety of tools to build core strength.
Beginner Abs & Back
The following exercises are basic moves targeting the abs and back. Always avoid any exercises that cause pain and, if you feel lower back strain, modify the move to a comfortable range of motion or place a rolled up towel under your hips to support your lower back. Check with your doctor if you have any injuries or medical conditions
•Warm up with some light cardio before this workout
•Perform each exercise for at least 1 set of 10-16 reps.
•Do each exercise slowly and focus on good form for each rep
CRUNCHES
– Lie on back with knees bent, and hands clasped behind neck.
– Raise shoulders up until they clear the floor and return to start position for one set.
– For the other two sets, raise left shoulder toward right knee, return to floor.
– Lift right shoulder toward left knee, return to floor.
CRUNCHES w/ LEGS RAISED
– Lie on back with knees bent, and hands clasped behind neck.
– Position legs up over chair.
– Raise shoulders up until they clear the floor and return to start position for one set.
– For the other two sets, raise left shoulder toward right knee, return to floor.
– Lift right shoulder toward left knee, return to floor.
DIAGONAL CRUNCHES
– Lie on back with knees bent, and hands clasped behind neck.
– Raise left shoulder up and raise right knee up, twist until they touch.
– Lower and repeat with right shoulder and left knee.
Single Trunk Raise 
– Lie on back with knees bent, arms over head, palms upward.
– Bring one knee to center of chest.
– Lift buttocks off floor, keeping knee to chest.
– Lower and repeat with other leg.
Dumbbell Side-Bend
– Stand, holding weight in left hand.
– Bend to right.
– Return to start position and repeat.
– Repeat sets with weight in right hand and bending to left.
When To Work Your Abs
•You can effectively work your abs with 3 non-consecutive workouts a week
•Do 1-3 sets of 12-16 reps of each exercise. If that’s too easy, make sure you’re doing each exercise correctly and using perfect form. You can add a dumbbell or plate to crunches to add difficulty.
Nutrition: When You Lapse
Did you just eat a carton of Godiva ice cream? All is not lost. Admit that you made a poor choice. Forgive yourself – it is human to lapse. Analyze what happened, what was going on, who were you with, what did your inner voices say? Think about what you will do next time. Practice how you will respond next time. Healthy eating habits take time and practice. Make your lapses a chance to plan for better choices in the future.
