A belly as tight as Kate Hudson's? Here's how to achieve it in just 5 minutes a day
The Oscars were once again a big spectacle. Timothée Chalamet didn't win any Oscars (karma, much?), Jessie Buckley won the statue for best actress and yes: Leonardo DiCaprio suddenly looked hot again. It was quite a night, but do you know what really stuck with me? Kate Hudson's abs. Yes, seriously. She walked into the afterparty of the award show in a black Gucci dress with a very large cut-out. Although those black sparkles are fantastic, I just want to know one thing: how did she get those abs? Luckily for me, and for you, her trainer shared what Kate does to get such a flat stomach. Grab your yoga mat, a hard cushion, and some weights, because you'll be doing this workout routine in no time.
View this post on Instagram
Kate swears by this deep core workout
Well, if you want to look this ‘shredded’ at almost 47, then you have to put in some effort, of course. For this blonde, whom you know from How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, Bride Wars, and much more, no sport is too much to ask. Just a few days before the Oscars, she was still found in the gym. Here she did an intense deep core workout that trained her abs to the max. And do you know what the best part of her workout regime is? It's not difficult, takes a short time, and you don't need any fancy equipment.
According to Kate's trainer, Megan Roup, the secret is not that you sweat for an hour on the Stairmaster, but that you perform specific exercises correctly. That's why she doesn't serve up a cardio circus, but a simple workout on the yoga mat. The focus is on moving slowly, breathing deeply, and actively engaging your core. Pay attention, because this is exactly what Kate swears by:
1. Double Pulse Scissor (8 x = 1 set)
Grab a meditation cushion, balance cushion, yoga bolster, or another hard cushion you have. Place this under your butt for this move. Lift your legs and arms as if you're on a bike. Hold weights in your hands and keep them extended, so you engage your diaphragm. Move slowly while you breathe in and out, moving your legs as if you're cycling.
2. Alternating toe taps (8 x = 1 set)
Yes. We're going to touch the toes. Or rather, that's what this exercise resembles. After a short break of 15 seconds, lie down on the cushion again, just like before. Grab the weights and extend your arms straight up in front of you. Keep your legs angled in the air. Move with your knee, as if you're giving someone a knee, lifting your leg up. When you lower one leg, move your arms towards your head. Then bring your left leg and arms back up. Keep breathing slowly in and out during the set. Repeat eight times.
3. ‘pass the ball’ (8 x = 1 set)
Ditch the cushion and this time after your break, lie only on the yoga mat. Make sure your back is straight and grab a ball or small cushion that you can keep passing. Yes: we're going to pass it, so you have no arm to lean on. Raise your left leg as high as possible and your right leg at an angle. Bend forward as your leg comes up. The ball in your right arm should move towards your left knee. To make it a bit harder, pass the ball with your left arm and then go back down. Keep repeating this eight times.
4. Cross body knee pull (8x)
Okay, this is a tricky one. Lie on your side and place your arms behind your neck. Support yourself with your elbow on the yoga mat. Lift your legs at an angle and squeeze the ball (or cushion) between your free elbow and opposite knee. Move your other leg slowly at an angle and back, while you keep squeezing the ball. Switch sides after eight times.
5. Cross body leg raise (8x)
This is actually the same movement as above, only now you fully extend one leg and move it up and down. So you're doing a leg raise, only with your body sideways. And a ball that you have to keep up. Yes, the difficulty level has to go up a bit if you want to get killer abs, right?.
6. Crunch plus ball (8x)
Lie sideways on the other side and place your legs at an angle, so that the knee points up. Grab the ball and twist your body, so you support your head with your elbow again. Grab the ball with your other hand and roll it over the leg that is raised. Roll it down and gently come down. Keep repeating this eight times. Then do it eight times with your other leg.
Want to see the exercises again? Then we have put them de video below for you. That saves you some research. Repeat this entire set twice and believe me: you will be exhausted, your abs will burn, and only 5 minutes will have passed. Isn't that amazing? That's what gives me the motivation to work out, you know. Especially if I end up looking like Kate Hudson. Will I get Matthew McConaughey from How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days along with that? Well, exactly as he is in the movie, of course. Probably not. But a woman can dream, right?
View this post on Instagram
Getty Images for Netflix
