Whether it six-pack abs or firm thighs you seek, order it up and one of umpteen different health magazines will serve it to you on the printing press any given week. And… You can reach that goal in just four and a half weeks, or 30 days, or one month — wait, isn’t that all the same? Yes, Virginia it is. So, are they telling the truth? Weeellllll….
Any new routine done properly over 30 days will indeed have a positive impact. This week’s “Six-Pack Abs” workout from Women’s Health magazine is a mixture of quality core exercises. If you do them 2-3 times a week for the next month, says the article, you’ll “notice a flat-out hot difference.” HOT! Sweet. Doing these exercise can’t help but make you stronger, true, but hot? Hmmm.
Keep in mind Women’s Health magazine’s demographics (young, female, ambitious, adventure-seeking) and note the gorgeous model in the photos. She is NOT our Olga. Nor does she eat chocolate, drink beer and wine, or have weekly pizza night with her family. The killer abs in the picture that goes with the article are those of a seriously trained athlete who didn’t reach that kind of perfection because she did that particular workout for 30 days. She is picture worthy because of 2-3 hours of training a day, a fancy regimen of supplements, a strict diet, and limited alcohol. She doesn’t sound very fun does she? Oh, just kidding. The point is, being fit is not an afterthought for her. It’s probably her career and how she defines herself, and there are huge sacrifices involved. Persistence is what we can apply from her example.
What is fun about all these “XYZ-body-parts-in-30-days” routines, for the rest of us, is that they are new-ish, fairly easy to do most anywhere, relatively safe, and they all can inspire our inner “hotness” to come to life – often getting us closer to our realistic goals. The key lesson to be learned is to not do these routines solely and at the expense of other workouts. The ab workout is a great all around core routine for sure, but there remains your legs and arms to keep strong, and of course, most importantly, your heart and brain (don’t forgo the ever crucial daily walk).
In short: Expect to get stronger if you ADD these magic-bullet routines to your weeks. Expect to get nowhere near the perfection in the photos they feed you if that’s all you do. Any activity that mixes up an old routine is worth doing, and when the next one rolls by your weary face in the checkout line, go ahead and grab it for excitement.
On that note, here’s one of Olga’s favorite core exercises performed by one of our yoga experts and PATH Adventure models:
It’s a Side Plank with a Hip Squeeze. Once in your side plank, lower your hips to the floor, just barely touching, then raise them back up as high as possible. Repeat while you hold the plank for 1-2 minutes. Don’t forget the other side. To make it easier you can keep the lower knee on the floor.
For You In Your Workplace:
Keep a library of exercises our routines from magazines that people could do on a break. File them in folders or in a binder with tabs. Separate the sections by body parts if you’re willing. You could even create stations around the office where people could do different routines. Look for spaces that could accommodate such activity.
Let us know your favorite “perfect-body-part-in-30-days” routine on the PATH Ahead.