When thinking about how fitness plays a part in our lives, we all realize that when we attempt it, it’s not so easy. It IS however VERY worth the effort. I myself have been on quite the health kick lately (call it a resolution or a realization…lol... either way, I’m doing it!!).

We’d all love a six pack, but I’ll settle for losing inches right now as I work towards my ultimate goal. In my search for advice as to how I (and of course all of you) can attain what you’re after, I turned to Certified Personal Trainer Erin Iannacchino for some tips, tricks and sound advice on how to reach our fitness dreams.

“Six packs aren’t just for athletes you can do it but it takes time and patience. Most people believe doing tons of sit ups are going get great abs but the trick is to pay attention to the front and the back of the midsection. Most important is the balance and stability it creates by having a strong core. Nutrition and cardio are key factors when it comes to seeing your abs.

Muscle building in the core is great but to see the abdominal muscles you need to incorporate cardio into your routine at least a couple times a week. How often will depend on how much fat you need to lose to see those great six packs that you work hard to get!

Core training is good for any athlete whether it’s recreational or professional. You benefit from having a strong back and abdominal muscles to participate because in just about every sport or activity you will use your core. Core training also reduces injuries in other muscle groups needing to compensate for the lack of strength in the mid-section. Stability and strength into lower back will help you reduce the risk of lower back problems in the future.

You want to add your favorite cardio, whether it using the treadmill, elliptical, or bike (to name a few) to reduce body fat all over (there is no such thing as spot reduction…Unfortunately). You want to do crunches in control and make sure you are breathing out during the contraction phase of the exercise (the part when you are crunching).

Here are some ideas of exercises you can try at home:

Stability Ball: You can do a variety of exercises on the stability ball, using it between the legs for some lower abs and holding it in your hands for some oblique action.

Lower Back: For the lower back, one exercise you can do to incorporate strength and balancing is; raising opposite arm and leg at the same time while on all fours on the ground (Table position) holding for 10 seconds then switching.

Mid-Section: To start working on your midsection, you want to establish that its most likely going to take a shift in the diet to less sugar, dairy, white breads, crackers, pasta etc…

• Adding lots of green leafy veggies in with at least 3 meals of your day
• Decreasing portion size
• Having a balance of protein, carbohydrates, and good fats in every meal
• And eating every 3 to 4 hours speeding up the metabolism

You want to utilize all the awesome nutrients you will be getting to build lean muscle and lose fat.”

For further guidance on some great core exercises, tricks and tips you can contact Erin at: EJIannacchino@hotmail.com