ah haa.. I found the sporty corner :) can we talk abs please.

[BCNS]

I don't want body builder abs.. I just want that nice tight curve bit.. you know a little deffinition, not bulk.

so which are the best exercises and how many reps a day.??

already walking, spinning and swimming.. to burn the flabby bits.

and has anyone managed to re find their abs??. (( mine are in there somewhere!)

bumping for you. i need to fine tune mine after 2 DC's. i used to have a girls 6 pack,i did martial arts, yoga, dance and had a gym obsession.

My plan is for lots of yoga and a few weights classes to get the muscles working again.

Haven't re-found my abs (if I ever had them), but I did come across www.truthaboutabs.com, which is an ebook by an American trainer.
The main premise is to push nutrition and whole-body strength training rather than endless crunches and cardio sessions.
Have to say that I have a terrible issue with laziness and motivation, so haven't stuck with it, but it did seem convincing to me and my stomach muscles definitely felt stronger (but without cramping) very quickly.

sometimes wonder if my abdominal muscles were damaged in a childhood op as they don't seem to exist. This exercise doesn't sound too terrible

Bicycle manoeuvre - Lie flat on the floor with your lower back pressed to the ground and place your hands beside your head. Bring your knees up to about a 45-degree angle and slowly go through a bicycle pedal motion. Touch your left elbow to your right knee, then your right elbow to your left knee. Breathe evenly throughout the movement.

this looks like one to start with www.coopersguns.com/videos/exercise-encyclopedia/abdominals/leg-raise/

brilliant thanks tatts, meglet and NT ..

have been religiously doing pilates, yoga, crunches, boats, and planks etc.. have stepped up walking now to jogging to burn a bit more fat off. and I've been eating 3 times a day rather than when i remember and swapped a load of coffee for water!.. hey whether I find my abs again or not I am feeling bloomy great for it.

and I can feel my abs in there too!! just to make them peek out now LOL..
Just a bit fitter and I'll be off to martial arts classes soon.

I'd love to do martial arts - but it's the lack of fitness that puts me off. Don't want to collapse half way through the class.

I would love to see my abs but all I have there at the moment is a big blubbery roll - I'm making a dent in it though.

Does anyone rate Wii Fit as a way to begin Yoga?

no idea about wii fit..
well done in the dent.. that's what i'm aiming for at the moment .. curves are a long tern goal.

NT that's why i'm trying to get a lot fitter lol before i start!

I've always been frightened off yoga by the idea that they would expect too much too soon. So the great thing with Wii Fit is that you do some simple things that even I can manage, although there are some I wouldn't try too . So yes, a good way to start and give yourself some confidence before trying a class.

Although I can't find my abs I have dropped a dress size with a combination of exercise that includes Wii Fit daily.

Well, I felt inspired last night, I went and did 3 sets of 30 crunches, front and sides. Fortunately I am not crippled with pain today. Tomorrow is another day

I am not the most supple individual so that puts me off going to a Yoga class but also, it's the 'spiritual' side of it that would probably feel a little uncomfortable.
It's like when I go to church, I always feel so out of place and like a fraud.

I'm going to have a go at the Wii Yoga tonight. Ohmm....

You are doing the right thing with all that cardio because before you can find your abs you need to get rid of the fat! However that doesn't mean you shouldn't strengthen what you have in time for that fat to disappear. One of the most effective exercises as someone has already said is the bicycle as it targets the abs and obliques. Otherwise just keep it simple, crunches, reverse cruches and I am a big fan of the plank.

"Does anyone rate Wii Fit as a way to begin Yoga?"

No no no no no no no!!!

Not Wii Fit, not a video or DVD, not a book or online classes.

There are such subtleties in Yoga that you can only learn from a teacher, so please just do it right and find someone local that can give you some real experience of Yoga.

Wii Fit cannot tell you if you are doing something that isn't good for you, it only uses sensors to tell where your centre of gravity is. It can;t tell you if you're doing too much, or approaching it with the right attitude (no. 1 problem with beginners in Yoga).

And yoga isn't about the physical side anyways, the Yoga Sutra-s define it as the quietening of the mind. That comes from a very different practice than bouncing about on a Wii Fit.

Find a good teacher, you'll benefit so much more!