The hugely successful food industries in North America and Western Europe have caused approximately 65% of their populations to become overweight, statistics show. Efficiency in food production- especially in meats and sweets has made it difficult for most people to maintain healthy eating habits.
The only thing that can counter the nutritional quagmire that we’re in is constant exercise. Sadly, a lot of people find it a challenge to stick to a regular exercise program and thus are suffering from all sorts of health problems from diabetes to high blood pressure and heart disease.
Of the noble members of society that picked-up their arms to join the war against excess fat and high blood pressure, only a few emerge victorious. This can be attributed lack of motivation brought about by improper exercise and thus, slow results.
Most people hit the gym to lose weight and get a six-pack. A fast abs workout that effectively tones-up the midsection in a short time will solve issues of boredom and keep people motivated and exercising continuously.
It’s been found that abdominal and back exercises done on round, unstable surfaces (like a Swiss ball) are most effective in developing the core muscles. Doing these along with weight-training and high-intensity aerobic exercise can pave the way to rapid calorie-burn and melted belly fat.
The muscles around or midsection make up our core. These include the muscles in the lumbar area as well as those on the side of our waists and of course, the upper and lower abdomen. Most people make the mistake of doing conventional ab isolation exercises thinking it’s enough. Neglecting the other core muscles, especially those in the lumbar region can actually lead to back pain.
Using round surfaces (as opposed to a flat bench or floor) while doing core strengthening exercises will result in a faster abs workout. The unstable surface forces all the muscles around the midsection to work together to maintain balance. This will result in a stronger core faster and improve flexibility and endurance.
Another advantage to doing core exercises on a curved or round platform is a higher amount of calories burned. It’s been proven in a study using electromyography that more muscle fibers are active when doing crunches and similar exercises on a round surface. More muscle effort spells more calories used-up and more belly fat burned.
