If you don't have time to hit the gym and a personal trainer is too expensive, get in your ab workout during the day. Whether you're on a bus, at your desk or in a meeting, you can work your abs and get closer to your goal of a toned midsection. With some exercises, your friends and coworkers won't even be able to tell you're exercising.
Seated Workouts
Even if your job requires you to sit most of the day, you can still get in your ab exercises. Sit up straight with your back away from the chair, exhale and slowly tighten your abs. This should feel like your bracing for a punch or trying to pull your belly into your spine. Keep your lower abs engaged and breathe normally. Hold this for 30 seconds, then release and repeat. To work your obliques while seated, bend your right arm so that your fist is directly beneath your chin, tighten your midsection and "crunch" to the right side. Imagine you're trying to touch your hip to your shoulder. Don't bend. Instead, use your obliques to pull the top part of your body downward and to the side. Do 15 reps, then repeat the move on your left side. You can also replace your desk chair with a fitness ball. It will force you to maintain good posture and you can take crunch breaks between tasks.
Standing Workouts
You can work your abs while you're waiting to use the copier. Place your hands on your hips and crunch to the right. As you do so, lift your right leg so that your abs tighten and burn. Imagine you're trying to touch your hip to your rib cage, not just lifting your foot. Focus on tightness and burn in your obliques, not the height of your leg lift. Another option is to work the front of the abs. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your hands on your hips. Tighten your abs and slowly lift one leg, bending the knee, until the knee is even with your belly button. Hold it for five seconds and release, then switch to the other side.
In-Motion Workouts
You burn calories any time you move, but you can add an ab workout to your movements for even better results. Take the stairs every chance you get. Keep your back straight and your abs tight, pulling your knees tight toward your chest with every step. Twist your torso as you climb to help tone the obliques. If you're not in a hurry, do a set of lunges as you walk. Keeping your back straight, pull your abs in tight, breathe normally and take an extra-long step forward -- about three times as long as your normal stride. With your abs tightened, hold the position for three counts and use your abdominal muscles to help pull you back into a standing position. Keeping your abs taut is key, especially while you're in motion.
At-rest Workouts
Take advantages of a few minutes to yourself and tone your abs. Lie on your back with your fingers behind your head and lift your legs. Using only your abs, lift up your lower body and bring it down slowly. It does not matter if you come only an inch off the floor -- the tension in your abs is the most important thing. Keep your abs tight throughout the exercise, even when you bring your lower body back down. Another option is oblique crunches. Lie on your back, bend your knees toward your head and place your fingers behind your head with the elbows bent. Tighten your abs and simultaneously pull your right knee toward your left shoulder and vice versa. Keep your elbows bent and straight out to either side, not bent toward the knee. Both your upper and lower body should be in motion for this exercise. Return to a resting position and repeat using the left knee and right shoulder. Avoid straining your neck by making your abs do the work.
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