This is the fourth post in our series of Fitness Saturday exercises—workouts appropriate to women in the second half of life. Personal trainer Brooke Marrone, president and founder of Brooke Marrone Fitness, in New York City, is our fitness guru.
Finally, an ab exercise where you get to lie on your back! The Bicycle Twist is known to be one of the very best ways to work your core. There is so much more to this one move than the basic crunch, which often gets a bad rap. For optimum results, perform this exercise in a circuit with the other three moves we have gone over this month.
Modifications:
If you have a bad back, you can follow the above instructions for this exercise minus the kick. Keep your knees in to your chest as you twist side to side until you feel comfortable working up to your kick. Also, the lower you kick, the harder the exercise. Make sure never to put your back at risk, and go only as low with your kick as you feel comfortable.
Beginners:
The main muscle targeted during bicycle crunches is the rectus abdominus, which is located in the front of your body and flexes the torso and spine. The secondary muscles worked are the obliques (side abdominals), which help you move from side to side and twist your torso.