Abdominal Exercises, Ab workouts for Women

Cut back on your sugar consumption. It will make a whole lot of difference on your waistline.

Stay away from junk food. They contain processed salts that do nothing in enhancing your abs.

Snack on fruits and nuts instead of chips and chocolates.

There are aerobic exercises especially for abs that you can do for thirty minutes for five days week.

It is important that you workout your abs but first you need to learn the right technique of the exercises.

Half crunches are more effective in toning abs than full, complete crunches.

While doing sit-ups, cross your hands on your chest instead of holding them behind your neck. There are chances of spraining your neck.

Ensure that your neck is in line with the torso. Bending the neck instead of raising the torso is going to cause more harm than good.

Your movements should be slow and controlled. Don't rush through your workout.

A sure-shot way of making your workout interesting is by adding a variety of exercises for your upper abs, lower abs and obliques.

Rest for at least 20 to 40 seconds between repetitions.

When you get used to a certain workout regime, its time to upgrade. Introduce more sets and up the level of intensity in your exercise.

You must breath right to get the desired results. Remember to breathe out while your making the contraction and breath in when you relax. Breath out through your mouth and always concentrate on your breathing.

For a better result, always workout your abs with your legs and knees bent instead of stretched straight.

Working out your abs strengthens your lower back, automatically alleviating any lower back problems.

Zumba Aerobics For Beautiful Body!

We give you the lowdown on the emerging trend in fitness world

For many, dance is a hobby and a stress buster. And the newest sensation in town is zumba aerobics, a dance form that acts as the perfect stress buster and aids weight loss as a bonus. Known as 'aerobics with a twist', zumba aerobics has become one of the most sought-after routines among the fitness-conscious today, as it is ideal for those who seek to reduce weight, the fun way.

Zumba makes generous use of both fast and slow rhythms, thereby enabling one to work out for a longer period of time and thus burning unnecessary fat.

"It is a very popular fitness regime in many parts of the world. It increases the efficiency of the various functions of the body," says dancer Lourd Vijay.

Zumba has a strong and distinct Latin influence and is more about having fun than anything else — it doesn't really matter whether or not you get your steps right. It also helps one burn up to 450 calories per hour and promotes cardiovascular health.

The movements in zumba are a mixture of different Latin dance forms like salsa, meringue, cha-cha, mambo and zumba shuffle steps that help tone the muscles. The initial classes are divided into two basic levels. Basic level one focusses on four rhythms — meringue, salsa, cumbia and reggaeton. Basic level two adds four more rhythms — belly dance, flamenco, tango and samba. The tempo of the songs changes from slow to moderate to fast and back again.

An ideal zumba workout also includes a diet plan that emphasises on having six small meals. The plan does not restrict one from having one's favourite foods — moderation is the key. Once trained by a qualified instructor, zumba can be practiced at home at least thrice a week.

"However, though zumba is very effective as a workout regime, it hasn't caught on in Chennai in a big way because we do not have many qualified trainers here," says Lourd.

Fitness trainer Sujataha Suro on the other hand uses zumba as part of a more comprehensive fitness regime that includes mixing and matching various dance forms.