Core toning

     Strengthening the abdominal muscles is not just to get a slim, six-pack stomach. These muscles lend support to all the organs in this region of your body. Just as the rib cage is designed to protect the very important organs, the heart and lungs, so has nature intended that the abdominal muscles provide protection and support to the stomach, liver, and intestines.

     Poor muscle tone in your core allows gravity to do its job and the organs in this area actually begin to distend. As with vaginal toning, core toning is especially important for women who have had children. Exercising this area is also easy to incorporate through your day. Simply pulling in your abdomen begins toning the muscles. When you pull in your abdomen while standing, walking, dancing, or moving about in any way, your workout will increase. These exercises also serve as an excellent internal massage.

     It is a good idea to stretch these core muscles when you begin to work on them. The cobra stance in yoga is good for this. Lie face down on the floor, put your hands face down under your shoulders, and slowly push your upper body off the ground, arching your back. Deep breathing, making your belly distend, is also a good stretch to this area.

--T.H. Rushdan