Yoga core strengtheners, the Pilates Hundred and mindful eating are all weapons in my arsenal against the bulges around my middle this year.
According to fashionistas, a muffin-top is the embarrassing figure flaw and fashion-fit faux pas where the flab around my middle invariably drapes itself over the waistband of my favorite jeans.
I am now to the point where I will need to break down and buy a new pair in the next size up, or I need to whittle my middle in a big way.
Yoga has some great core strengtheners - Boat (Navasana) is a great example for the middle and low abs, while Locust Pose is a great back strengthener. In my daily yoga routine, even if I manage to do a few twists and back bends, an obligatory Boat or two, it isn’t enough.
I really do not do enough damage to my middle to make up for the leftover Halloween mini-three-musketeers binge I went on last week, or the turkey and pumpkin pie I have every intention of partaking of next week.
Since this is my one week of reasonably fit and sane behavior, I’m going to have to do some serious crunching.
The Pilates routine – called the Hundred consists of a series of isometric holds with the legs at varying heights to work on different segments of the core – while circling the whole arm (from the shoulder girdle) in tiny concentric circles one hundred times.
Because all mind-body fitness requires the coordination of movement and the breath, the Hundred is often referred to as a breathing exercise. (Ha! I say that’s only the case for people who have an easier time crunching than they do breathing.)
I will also have to try to remain mindful of what I’m eating – eat smaller portions, stop eating when my body gets full, and freeze some of those turkey leftovers for later….
