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PERFECT PLANK
Targets the tough-to-tone deep abdominal muscles
Lie face-down on the floor, propped up on your forearms with your elbows directly beneath your shoulders. Your torso should be lifted off the floor so your body is in a straight line, supported by your forearms and toes. Your back should not arch or droop. Hold for 10 to 20 seconds (or as long as possible without losing proper form). Repeat 3 times.
MERMAID
Targets the obliques while also strengthening the back and shoulders Sit on your right hip with your legs extended to the side, knees slightly bent. Cross your left foot in front of the right. Place your right hand on the floor directly beneath your shoulder, and place your left hand on your left leg. Lift your hips off the floor, extending your left arm overhead, so your body forms a diagonal line. Without bending your right arm, lower your hips and left arm back to start. Do 4 reps. Switch sides.
Shape up your brain with these strategies:
1. Doodle. Participants who doodled while listening to a humdrum conversation scored 29 percent better in a memory test of the information they had heard than those who didn’t draw, a study in the journal Applied Cognitive Psychology reports. What gives? Rather than the distraction you may have thought it was, sketching keeps you from daydreaming, so you soak up more data.
2. Go Fish. Eating baked or broiled fish as little as once a week may reduce your risk of mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease later in life, according to a recent study out of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Researchers found that fish (as long as it’s not fried!) helps protect gray matter, especially in areas related to memory and cognition.
3. Find a one-word mantra. During a super-tough workout, concentrate on a single word that encapsulates that action you’re going for, such as “strong” or “smooth”, instead of the mechanics like “head” or “knees”. How this helps: “Focusing on the outcome of your actions
Targets the tough-to-tone deep abdominal muscles
Lie face-down on the floor, propped up on your forearms with your elbows directly beneath your shoulders. Your torso should be lifted off the floor so your body is in a straight line, supported by your forearms and toes. Your back should not arch or droop. Hold for 10 to 20 seconds (or as long as possible without losing proper form). Repeat 3 times.
MERMAID
Targets the obliques while also strengthening the back and shoulders Sit on your right hip with your legs extended to the side, knees slightly bent. Cross your left foot in front of the right. Place your right hand on the floor directly beneath your shoulder, and place your left hand on your left leg. Lift your hips off the floor, extending your left arm overhead, so your body forms a diagonal line. Without bending your right arm, lower your hips and left arm back to start. Do 4 reps. Switch sides.
Shape up your brain with these strategies:
1. Doodle. Participants who doodled while listening to a humdrum conversation scored 29 percent better in a memory test of the information they had heard than those who didn’t draw, a study in the journal Applied Cognitive Psychology reports. What gives? Rather than the distraction you may have thought it was, sketching keeps you from daydreaming, so you soak up more data.
2. Go Fish. Eating baked or broiled fish as little as once a week may reduce your risk of mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease later in life, according to a recent study out of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Researchers found that fish (as long as it’s not fried!) helps protect gray matter, especially in areas related to memory and cognition.
3. Find a one-word mantra. During a super-tough workout, concentrate on a single word that encapsulates that action you’re going for, such as “strong” or “smooth”, instead of the mechanics like “head” or “knees”. How this helps: “Focusing on the outcome of your actions