Jada Pinkett Smith [1] and Willow Smith [2] are taking their Mother's Day [3] prep to a new level this year with an intense ab workout. Pinkett Smith shared a quick snippet of their workout on Instagram, and my abs are sore just from watching!
The exercise in the video is all about core stability [4] and strength (here's information on why core stability is important [5]), and you'll feel your abs working after a few reps! If you're inspired to wake up your abdominal muscles like the Smiths, check out the video above and add a few of the following moves to your workout.
Ball Pass
- Lie on your back, holding an exercise ball above your chest and extending your feet up toward the ceiling.
- On an exhale, move your arms and legs away from each other, lowering both toward the ground. Inhale to bring them back toward each other, and transfer the ball from your hands to your legs.
- Then, lower your arms and legs toward the floor away from each other.
- Bring them back together, transferring the ball back to your hands.
- Complete 10 reps.
Seated Knee Tuck
- Start seated on the ground or on a weight bench. Place your hands about an inch behind your back with your fingers facing forward. Your feet should be on the ground.
- Lift both feet up off of the ground and extend both legs as you simultaneously lower your upper body. Be sure to get full extension at your hips and legs.
- With control, bring your legs back to your chest without touching the ground with your feet and return to the starting position.
- This counts as one rep. Complete 15 reps.
Reverse Plank
- Begin lying on a yoga mat in a supine (facing up) position.
- Bend your elbows, moving them directly underneath your shoulders; avoid angling your elbows out to the sides.
- With control, brace your abs (you should still be able to breathe normally), squeeze your glutes, and lift your body up off the mat. Be sure to keep your head/neck in a neutral position by looking up at the ceiling. Don't let your hips drop down to the ground at any point.
- Hold for 30 seconds.
V-Sit Hold
- Lie on your back and reach your arms rigidly to your side, off the floor. Lift your legs off the floor and point them, so they are at about a 45-degree angle. Lift your head so your shoulders are off the floor as well.
- When you're ready to begin, lift your upper torso off the floor and bend your knees. You can lean back to make this move harder or come up more to make it easier. This is similar to a modified boat pose [7] in yoga.
- Hold this position for 30 seconds.