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5 Exercises Every Women Should Do

Georgie Drury

Battle your butt, belly and bat wings:

1. The Plank
This is an essential exercise to help improve your core strength and tone your tummy.
Getting it right

  • Lie on your stomach and place your forearms on the ground (elbows under shoulders)

  • Draw in your abdominals and raise up on your toes, holding your body weight on your forearms

  • Inhale to prepare, exahle to raise, natural breath pattern for holding position, exhale to lower

  • Your bottom should not be in the air, move it down so that it is in a straight line between your shoulders and your knees (your tummy should be held in tightly, not sagging towards the floor)

  • You should be in a straight line from head to knees

  • Ensure your head is in neutral position by keeping it in a straight line with your spine. Look forward, not down

  • Hold for 15-20 seconds. Repeat 3 times. Each day add extra time and aim to eventually hold for up to 3 minutes.

2. Skipping
Cardio training is a sure fire way to help you lose your extra layer of insulation for summer. Shorter, more intense bursts of cardio are the way to go, so try skipping. Purchase a rope, clear some floor space and skip intensely for a minute, rest for minute and repeat. Try to build up to 10 mins of skipping.

3. Dips
Dips are wonderful to help you tone your bat wings and keep your tuck shop arms at bay.
Getting it right

  • Sit on the edge of a bench or chair

  • Put your hands down next to you, fingers pointing forwards

  • Taking your weight in your hands, walk your feet away from you so that your butt is in front of the chair

  • Keeping your shoulder blades down and back, inhale as you slowly lower yourself until your upper arms are parallel with the floor

  • Your back should stay close to the chair and exhale as you push yourself up

  • Repeat 10-12 times for 3 sets.


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4. Pelvic Floor
Pelvic floor exercises should be part of a woman's daily routine (even if you are not pregnant). They are simple to do and can be performed anywhere - in the car, on the bus, at work. A good pelvic floor can help you have greater bladder and bowel control, plus increased sexual awareness during lovemaking.
Getting it right

  • Squeeze your vaginal and anal muscles at the same time, lifting as though you are drawing the pelvic floor upwards internally. This will have a similar sensation to holding on when needing to go to the toilet.

  • Hold this for 5 seconds, then release & relax

  • Repeat 10 times, have a break, then repeat another 10 times.

5. Sumo Squats
Squats are a fantastic for your butt and a great way to build lower body strength, particularly in your bottom, quads (front of thighs) and hamstrings (back of thighs).
Getting it right

  • Place a chair behind you as though you are about to sit down on it

  • Stand in front of the chair feet wide apart (not too wide, but wider than your shoulders) with your feet at 45 degree angles facing outward

  • Place your arms straight out in front of you, so they are parallel with the floor

  • Keep your arms parallel to the floor as you lower yourself down, sitting back into your bottom. Keep all of the weight on your heels (not your toes) and sit back onto the chair

  • Once you have sat or touched the chair with your bottom, drive through your heels and stand up straight again

  • Try for 10 - 15 rep then repeat

  • As you progress with this exercise, add in another set (i.e 3 sets of 10-15 repetitions) and then take the chair away, so that you are now using your legs and bottom to control the exercise, lowering down to 90 degrees and then standing back up. Remember: inhale as you squat down, exhale as you drive back up through your heels.

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