Surfboard abs, they say. How to get them fast, we say. With the help of the creator of The MWH Method for long lean lines, Melissa Wood-Tepperberg, we’re highlighting a five-minute routine you can do on repeat for a sculpted core. All you need is a yoga mat and mini workout ball. Melissa notes that if you don’t have the equipment, you can absolutely just use your body weight.
Each motion focuses on strengthening and anchoring your core for defined abs. Are you ready to add this sequence to your summer workout rotation? We sure are. Learn the full routine and watch Melissa showcase each move in the video below.
What you need:
Yoga mat
Mini workout ball
MWH Prop Kit (currently sold out)
The Routine:
Knee Hug Crunch
The Hundred (aka the Pilates 100)
Leg Circles
Raised Heel Taps
The Move: Knee Hug Crunch
How to: Start with your back firmly on the floor. Make sure the ball is in between the thighs and squeeze them together to maintain its position. Exhale and lift your legs up so that you are in a tabletop position and your arms are reaching straight out in front of you. While squeezing the ball, hug your knees into your chest while extending your fingers. With control, slowly lengthen the legs until they are extended out in front of you and reach your arms straight overhead. Repeat for 10 reps, making a circular motion with your hands as you go through them (make sure to lift the hips up an inch each time you hug your knees).
The Move: The Hundred (aka the Pilates 100)
How to: Start with your back against the floor and legs lifted in the air so that your knees are directly above your hips. With the ball pressed between your thighs, pump your arms downward so that the palms of your hands are facing the ground. Make sure as you’re pumping down that your toes are pressing against each other and your shoulders are rolled down your back. After a few seconds, exhale and try to lift up a few more inches off the ground.
The Move: Leg Circles
How to: Begin with your back on the floor and your feet planted firmly on the ground with the ball in the small of your back (this should be where your underwear line goes). Pressing your arms forcefully down on either side, bring your body into table position. Make sure to pull your belly button to your spine as you create big circular movements with your legs. After eight reps, reverse and go in the opposite direction.
The Move: Raised Heel Taps
How to: Lie down on the mat with the ball in the small of your back and your arms pressed down on the floor. Slowly extend your legs while keeping your heels together and toes apart. Engaging your core, slightly tap your heels together, and continue for eight seconds.
Melissa Wood-Tepperberg is a mom, digital entrepreneur, and founder of Melissa Wood Health, a business based on helping women learn to appreciate and love themselves through movement, meditation, and mindful eating. The MWH Method is a fitness philosophy that sculpts beautiful, long, lean lines throughout the entire body using precise, low-impact movements, now available on the Melissa Wood Health app. On top of the library of 200+ workouts, Melissa Wood Health also offers dance warmups, a cardio treadmill series, guided meditations, and pre/postnatal-friendly workouts.
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