It Takes Willpower & Discipline to Form Good Habits
As you probably already know, it takes willpower, discipline and good habits to really get the most out of life. These three things work together. While this may sound just too simple; it isn’t always easy, in fact it can be downright difficult. It’s all very well to KNOW what should be done. Doing it is different, as you may already have experienced.
If you have willpower, it will be much easier to commit to doing the necessary tasks that are needed to achieve the goals you want to meet. Willpower is not always easy to apply. It takes time, effort and self-control to use it effectively and the results are not always seen immediately. This can be a little daunting to some people because you are putting in maybe a lot of real, hard work without seeing any results. This might make you feel like giving up.
Willpower includes self-discipline. This helps you keep on with the tasks you need to carry out in order to reach your goals, for instance with weight loss and exercise. You have to eat healthily and exercise regularly to achieve results.
Developing Good Habits
To develop ANY habit, good or bad, you need to repeat the task or activity over and over again. The more you do something the easier it becomes. You no longer see it as a chore: you begin to see it as part of your normal routine.
When you repeat something you are creating a new routine. When your new routine becomes second nature, then you have formed a good habit. This doesn’t always have to take that long either. If you are determined to form a new habit , it is said that you can do so in as little as 21 days. The “21 days to a new habit” is a popular idea but it doesn’t always work. For some habits or some people, it may take 60 days of repetition to develop the habit. If the habit is worth developing, then that 60 days is a good investment and there are many ways in which you can keep your repetition going.
The other necessary ingredient to help you form and keep your good habits is that of motivation. You need motivation to (a) develop willpower and (b) to stay disciplined.
Motivation to become healthy can be negative, for instance, if your doctor tells you that you are heading for a heart attack if you don’t lose weight or improve your fitness levels.
Positive motivation comes from deep within you. With this type of motivation your willpower and discipline levels may well seem easy to use because you are so determined to achieve your goal. As you start your journey you will find that nothing can stop you, you are totally focused on your end goal. That is forming a new, lifelong habit of health.
Ab exercises for women
The Abs are one body part everyone wants to focus on. Men or women, it’s the abs. A flat stomach is like the “bad boy” of the fitness world because it’s hard to get ripped abs.
For many women, getting and keeping a lean midsection is not easy. Men and women’s muscles aren’t significantly different, but women tend to be wider through the pelvis and have a longer waist. They also carry more body fat naturally, so though they may have top toned abs, they may not always be visible. Women also want to ensure they stay looking feminine as well as strong and fit.
Visible abdominal muscles aren’t impossible, but you may need to do more than just standard sit-ups or crunches.
There are three sections to the abs, the upper abs, the obliques, and the lower abs.
You need exercises for all three parts and combine these with regular cardio and clean eating to keep flat abs throughout the year.
There is a Pilates technique in which you pull the belly button in while exercising to ensure you work the deepest ab muscle (known as the transverse).
Crunches are one of the main causes of back injuries in athletes.They put pressure on your discs and may throw your spine out of alignment. Unless you are used to doing them correctly and have no back problems, try these instead.
Bird dog.
Start on hands and knees, with your knees aligned under your hips and your wrists directly under your shoulders.
Reach your left arm forward at shoulder height and your right leg backwards at hip height. This leaves you resting on the floor on just your right arm and left knee
Hold for a count of 2 counts, making sure you reach forward with your fingers and back with your toes.
Repeat on the opposite side.
Do 10 reps on each side.
Plank
Yes, don’t groan. It’s super simple, just hard, but it builds the core muscles like almost nothing else.
Get into the pushup position. Make sure your palms are on the floor beneath your shoulders and your head is aligned with your spine. Contract your abs.
Hold for 30 seconds. Over time, gradually increase to two minutes total, as you get stronger.
There are some additional moves you can try as you get better. Try lifting one arm at a time, touching your fist to your chest. If you have room, do crab walks, moving your arms and legs sideways.
Abs
We all want them, and there are interesting exercises to build them, combined with diet and cardio.