Exercises for Women– women need exercise to train the muscles that play a crucial role in maintaining their physical health. Performing specific exercises tailored to the female body shape can help you tone or strengthen flabby muscles. When it comes to maintaining physical health, women need exercises focusing on core strength, the abdomen, back, and hips, including the buttocks.
The body consists of muscles that support vital organs in women. Training these muscles simultaneously supports women’s reproductive health and overall body function.
Suitable exercises for women include basic movements that strengthen the hips, abdomen, and back by utilizing body weight.
Here are various exercises for women that you can try:
1. Cardio Interval Training
Cardio interval training is an intense workout for women performed in sets. The intensity increases with each new set. For example, beginners usually walk briskly or jog for one minute in the first set, then continue to the second set for two minutes.
Choose the type of cardio exercise you want to do, such as jumping rope, running, or cycling.
Follow this exercise pattern for about 10 repetitions:
- For the first 3 minutes, use 50% of your maximum effort.
- In the next 20 seconds, use 75% of your maximum effort.
- In the final 10 seconds, give it your maximum effort.
2. Bridge
The bridge is a fundamental exercise that can alleviate back and hip pain caused by sitting for long hours. This exercise helps strengthen women’s muscles, particularly the buttocks, and stabilizes the abdominal muscles. Here’s the correct bridge position:
- Lie on your back, bend your knees, and place your feet flat on the floor.
- Ensure your feet are hip-width apart. The heels should be 15-20 cm away from your buttocks.
- Place your arms at your sides with your palms facing up.
- Lift your hips and tighten your buttocks and abdominal muscles.
- When your hips are in the highest position, tighten your buttocks and hold for two seconds.
- Lower your hips slowly, making sure to keep your buttocks and abdominal muscles engaged.
3. Side Plank
Side plank is a variation of the plank exercise that is suitable for training the abdominal muscles on the sides that support the spine, hip muscles, and side abdominal muscles in women.
Follow these steps to perform the side plank correctly:
- Lie on your side with your elbow and forearm on the floor.
- Ensure your shoulder is aligned and supporting your body weight.
- Tighten the lower leg muscles to support your body weight and keep your legs straight and aligned. Raise your hips so that your ankles remain flat.
4. Shoulder Stand
Another beneficial exercise for women is the shoulder stand or candle pose, which is a yoga movement known as sarvangasana. This exercise can help reduce constipation, prevent wrinkles, address insomnia, and reduce varicose veins, which are common issues for women. However, if not performed carefully, you risk serious injury.
Here’s a safe way to perform the shoulder stand for women:
- Lie on your back on a mat.
- Slowly raise your legs and hips upward.
- Place your hands behind your back and try to keep your legs and back straight and pointing upward.
- Try to hold this position for 30 seconds to a minute.
5. Squat
Squats are a great exercise for women to strengthen the muscles in the lower body. This exercise can help tone the thigh and buttock muscles in women.
Here’s the correct way to do squats:
- Start in a squatting position, ensuring your body weight is centered in the middle of your body, and don’t lift your heels or toes.
- Slowly bend your knees, keeping your back straight. Don’t lean forward. Maintain the position of your buttocks and keep your lower body muscles engaged.
- Gradually straighten your knees back to the starting position, maintaining a straight back and the same hip position.
- Repeat this about 10 times in one set.
6. Kegel Exercises
Kegel exercises are beneficial for strengthening important women’s organs, such as the uterus. These exercises are especially helpful after childbirth and can help address issues with urinary incontinence when sneezing or bedwetting during sleep.
Follow these steps to perform Kegel exercises:
- Identify your pelvic muscles by briefly stopping the flow of urine.
- Sit or lie down with an empty bladder.
- Tighten the pelvic floor muscles and hold for 3-5 seconds.
- Relax the pelvic floor muscles and wait for 3-5 seconds.
- Repeat this movement about ten times. Do it three times a day, in the morning, afternoon, and evening.
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Yoga
Yoga combines body balance, breathing techniques, and meditation. It helps reduce back and neck pain in women and mitigates the negative effects of obesity. According to research published in the International Journal of Yoga, yoga can help control depression, anxiety, stress, and other mental health issues.
Here are some types of yoga and beginner-level poses you can start with:
Cat-Cow Pose
- Start in a crawling position.
- Inhale, arch your back.
- Bring your chest forward and lower your abdomen to the floor.
- Exhale and tuck your head between your shoulders.
- Round your back and point your tailbone upward.
- Engage your abdominal muscles while pulling your tailbone.
Warrior Pose
- Inhale, extend one leg backward.
- Bend the other leg at a 90-degree angle.
- Stretch both arms overhead and focus your gaze forward.
- Keep your hips facing forward.
Upward Facing Dog
- Lie on your stomach.
- Push your palms into the floor.
- Lift your chest up and forward, and lift your head.
- Ensure the muscles in your front thighs remain engaged.
Exercises suitable for women should help strengthen and improve muscle endurance in the back and hips. In addition to enhancing the strength of key muscle groups, the right exercises for women can provide holistic physical and mental health support.
