Curl-up is a very common exercise form. People with a lot of belly fat can do this exercise as part of their fitness regime. They are often known as crunches too.
Doing a perfect curl-up takes time and regularity. Doing curl-ups will increase your core and abdomen strength. You can do this exercise every day without hesitation or excuse. Let’s get to know more about this exercise now and what are its benefits.
3: Keep one leg stretched and the other one bent.
4: For the leg that is bent, place your feet flat on the floor.
5: Now slowly raise your neck, head, and shoulders till you can feel your stomach muscles working.
6: Count till three and go back to the starting position.
7: Remember not to hold your breath.
8: Repeat for 10 reps.
9: After that, change the leg and repeat the above steps.
What are the muscles that are targeted?
The main muscles that are targeted are:
Viral videos and “fitspiration” trends can sometimes do more harm than good, according to health experts.
One Atlantic province has already seen a rise in a rare and potentially life-threatening condition that can be caused by overexertion, known as rhabdomyolysis or rhabdo.
The syndrome is caused by rapid muscle breakdown and can be the result of extreme exercise, according to Dr. Ryan Henneberry, a Halifax-based sports medicine physician.
“(It can happen) especially in somebody who might have succumbed themself to exercise they hadn’t done in a while: the typical high-intense interval training, or the indoor cycling that’s common now,” he said.
It occurs when damaged cells release toxins into the blood, which can lead to severe issues, including kidney failure.
“One might see the hallmark or classic tea-coloured urine, or darker urine or brown urine, and that would usually be associated with some form of muscle weakness or muscle pain,” said Henneberry.
Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services said last month it confirmed about 20 cases in the eastern part of the province in the span of six months. Doctors typically expect to see a few cases a year, said Dr. Richard Barter, the clinical chief of emergency medicine in the authority’s eastern urban zone.
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“One doctor said they’ve seen seven cases in the last five months,” said Barter.
Most of those cases were among women aged 19 to 30. And health officials believe social media may play a role.
“There is a culture right now to do extreme activities,” said Barter.
“We suspect that there’s a lot of posting on social media about what you’ve done, the number of reps that you’ve done, how high you’ve got your heart rate … there’s a friendly jousting competitiveness going on.”
Elsewhere in Atlantic Canada, Nova Scotia Health said it has not seen any significant increases in rhabdo cases. Health authorities in New Brunswick did not provide data before deadline.
Laura Perry, a personal trainer and owner of East Coast Barbell in Dartmouth, N.S., said preventing rhabdo means taking exercise slow — and low.
“We’re not going from zero to 100 in the very first day. We’re starting small and we’re learning how to move our bodies efficiently and safely,” said Perry.
“Working out six days a week is not twice as good as working out three days a week. It doesn’t work in that way. The most important thing is to choose a routine that you can do consistently. That you have time to recover from.”
Others believe self-compassion can help, too.
While social media pressure may encourage intense workouts for some, it’s important to pause and consider the impacts.
“It could be really just recognizing that these are large systemic and often profitable industries that are perpetuating these messages,” said Eva Pila, an assistant professor at Western University School of Kinesiology.
“We need to adopt more kind, understanding and empathetic ways of relating to ourselves.”
— With a file from The Canadian Press
Ever feel like beginner-friendly workouts are anything but?
That’s how BODi Super Trainer Lacee Green felt, so she devised a three-week, entry-level program designed for genuine newcomers to exercise—or those just getting back into it.
“My beginner-only plan is for every body and everybody,” Green tells Fit&Well.
Green’s program combines low-impact cardio, strength, core and mobility workouts for a total of five sessions a week and 30 minutes a day.
One of the routines she loves—that she says will provide a flavor of the plan—is a total-body cardio workout inspired by seven different sports.
“There is no repetition, it’s all bodyweight and super fun,” she says. “We do basketball, we do pickleball, we do soccer, and it’s really going to get your heart rate up.”
It will all count toward the CDC’s recommended 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity per week, while incorporating resistance training elements to strengthen your bones and muscles, she explains.
And Green has provided the full 10-minute routine below for you to try.
Press play on the video above and Green will guide you through the workout, or keep reading to see what’s in store.
Green’s 10-minute beginner-only cardio workout is inspired by seven different sports that she says will help channel your inner athlete.
Each sport links to an exercise during the routine. Follow the short warm-up, then perform each move for 40 seconds and rest for 20 seconds, for one round per sport.
In the video, another trainer demonstrates variations of each exercise so you can make it slightly more challenging as desired. The workout concludes with a short cool-down.
Here’s a brief breakdown of each exercise.
Step to your side, then reach up into full extension as if shooting a three-pointer. Repeat by shuffling from side to side.
Lower into a quarter squat with your feet wide apart and alternate quick stepping onto either foot. On Green’s cues, switch the direction you face from center to left and right.
Step side to side as if skating, hitting an imaginary hockey stick across your body.
Keeping light on your feet, hop from side to side as if juggling a football with your feet.
Lower into a half squat with your hands together in front of you. Keeping low, step or jump forward, then shuffle back to the start position.
Stand side on with slightly bent knees and your guard up. Alternate throwing jabs with your left and right, switching your stance after 20 seconds.
With your feet wide apart, lower into a deep squat with your hands up like a catcher. Place your hands on the floor and step back into a high plank, then back to the low squat.
Lacee Green is a BODi Super Trainer, certified personal trainer (CPT) and coach with more than 10 years of experience. She hosts a number of BODi on-demand fitness programs that are designed to challenge and motivate you while also providing a supportive and inclusive environment.
People with high cardiorespiratory fitness were 36% less likely to experience depression and 39% less likely to develop dementia than those with low cardiorespiratory fitness. Even small improvements in fitness were linked to a lower risk. Experts believe that exercise’s ability to boost blood flow to the brain, reduce bodywide inflammation, and improve stress regulation may explain the connection.
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