These are some of the best and most effective ab and core workouts for strengthening and firming your abdominal muscles. If you are looking for a new way to work your abs try these ab workouts.

Remember that getting great abs takes more than just ab exercise; you need proper nutrition and a well-balanced exercise routine to go with these ab-focused exercises.

Abdominal Exercise Guidelines
Perform several (3-5) abdominal exercises 3-5 times a week. Start with exercises and repetitions that are comfortable for your fitness level and as you improve increase the number of repetitions. You do not need to do all the exercises; simply select those that work well for you and vary your routine over the months.

1. Bicycle Crunch Exercise
2. Captain's Chair Exercise
3. Ab Crunch on an Exercise Ball
4. Vertical Leg Crunch
5. Long Arm Crunch
6. Reverse Crunch
7. Plank (Hover) Exercise
8. Traditional (Basic) Abdominal Crunch
9. Half Curl
10. Crossover Crunch
11. Seated Oblique Twists with Medicine Ball
12. Oblique Crunch
13. Alternating Supermans
14. V-Sit Exercise

from an article by Elizabeth Quinn

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I recently consulted with a naturopathic doctor.  I told her that two years ago I went gluten-free for six weeks to rule out a gluten allergy for headaches.  A gluten-free diet ended up not being the answer, but I expressed to her my surprise at not having lost any weight (I assumed it would be a side effect based on the hype surrounding gluten-free diets).  She informed me that if I had a gluten sensitivity then, yes, I would have lost weight as my body let go of any crud (my scientific term) it was holding onto.  But I don’t so I didn’t.

This spurred my thinking about how many diets and supplements people try because they read an article or an expert mentioned them.  But even experts can only speak in generalities when talking about the general public.  As consumers we need to do the research and find the experts to consult with one-on-one (e.g. my naturopathic doctor) to find the right lifestyle for us. 

I read so much information on health and fitness that I could easily get caught up in adding more and more to my regime, but I resist.  While vitamin D supplements may be all the rage today, do I need to be taking them?  I could waste hundreds of dollars every month on fabulous products that I don’t need.  I think the investment in a personal plan is not only better for my overall health, but ultimately for my pocketbook as well.

In health,
Heather Moreno

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Snacking in a rut?  Check out this fresh list of 10 healthy snacks.  However, beware the catchy title of 10 Healthy Snacks for Couch Time.  If I were to rename the list it would be 10 Healthy Snacks to Satisfy Hunger.  Couch-time does not equal eat-time and people often fall into the bad habit of mindless eating, especially while involved in sedentary activities such as driving and watching television.  As always, paying attention to hunger and fullness are keys to good health and a natural body weight.

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