Top 5 Ab Exercises To Tone Your Tummy

Doing the right exercises is vital if you want to tone your tummy. Keep in mind that getting a trimmer tummy takes time and you have to put into practice an effective exercise regime and eat a healthy and balanced diet.

1. Crunch

Crunches isolate and tone your tummy muscles but remember that they will not help to burn the unwanted fat that rests on top of your those muscles. To burn off excess fat, you'll need to do some cardio workouts and resistance training where you are working out with weights.

Lie flat on your back with your feet resting on the floor with your knees bent. Place your hands to the side of your head and lift your shoulders slowly off the floor about four inches while keeping your lower back straight and hold this position for one second. Lower your shoulders back down to the floor and repeat for as many reps as you can manage.

2. Dumbbell Renegade Row

The dumbbell renegade rows builds strength in your back muscles, biceps, and triceps. It is performed like a regular press up, but instead of your hands being flat on the floor you hold onto the dumbbell bars. You then lift one dumbbell up to chest height by flexing elbow and pulling with your back muscles. You then repeat on the other side. You'll need to keep your core tight during this exercise to maintain balance which makes it a good exercise to tone your tummy.

3. Russian Twist

This is a great exercise to tone your tummy muscles at the side of your midsection. Grab a single dumbbell and sit on the floor and lift your feet off the ground with your knees bent. Twist your torso and move your arms to one side as though you were about to place the dumbbell down beside you but stop just before it touches the ground. Then twist your torso and do the same on the other side. Do as many reps as you can manage.

4. Dumbbell Wood Chop

The dumbbell wood chop copies chopping wood with an axe. The movement consists of swinging a dumbbell with both hands in a diagonal line from the side of your hip to above shoulder level. This will help tone your tummy due to the fact that your stomach muscles provide support to the core area while your hips, shoulders, and oblique muscles act as stabilizers.

5. Plank

The plank tests your stamina while developing strength in your shoulders, back, glutes, and abdominals. This exercise will help you to tone your tummy since it primarily works the rectus and transverse abdominis muscles. To do a plank, lie on the floor face down. Then lift your body off the floor by resting on your forearms with your upper arms directly under your shoulders. Keep your feet together and balance on your toes to support the weight of your body. Make sure you keep your back flat like a plank. Hold this position for as long as you can while keeping your abs tight the whole time.

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Can Girdles Help To Reduce Tummy Fats?

Many ladies think that wearing a girdle daily can help to flatten the tummy and magically transform one’s body shape in the long run. Is it really so? Can a girdle really help to reduce tummy fats?

YES! Girdles can help to reduce tummy fats!

Not all ordinary girdles can help you to reduce tummy fats but some weight loss or reshaping girdles, when worn at least a few hours a day, can help to reduce tummy fats by redistributing them to the right places on the body. In the long run, the body will take on the shape of the girdle, giving you a curvy hourglass figure.

Beside this, some studies have also found that wearing a girdle makes it difficult for the stomach to expand as it pushes against the tummy area. Hence, it reduces your appetite and prevents you from overeating. This in the long run, will make you take in fewer calories and indirectly bring about weight loss.

NO! Girdles do not reduce tummy fats!

On the other hand, some studies have shown that wearing a girdle does not reduce tummy fats. It can only temporarily redistribute one’s fats to the right places and make you look slimmer for the time being. However, it does not reduce tummy fats as it can’t shrink the fat cells at all. Those unsightly bumps and bulges on your body will emerge instantly once you take off the girdle.

Besides this, many ladies also believe that the longer they wear a girdle (even when they go to sleep), the slimmer they will be. However, wearing such a restricting garment for long may result in severe health issues due to the added pressure on the body. For instance, it may push the organs into an abnormal position or result in poor blood circulation, chest tightness, nausea, breathing difficulties and more.

Instead of helping to reduce tummy fats, wearing a girdle may make your body parts appear flabbier instead. This is because the girdle will cause the muscles on the tummy area to be totally reliant on it for support and gradually lose their strength and tone due to reduced use. Problems will arise when you stop wearing the girdle after an extended period of wearing it.

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Simple Workplace Exercises That Slim Down the Tummy

If you are like many women today, your work days are busy and leave little time for the gym. Additionally, many working women are fighting excess weight around the mid-line from stress and eating on the go. Fortunately, there are several simple exercises that can be done right from your desk in just a few minutes a day to help you stay toned and slim down the tummy. 

Chair Crunches

This exercise provides an intense abdominal workout right in your seat. Begin by sitting upright on the edge of your chair. Make sure that, if your chair can roll, the wheels are locked or the back of the chair is braced against a wall. Inhale deeply and lean back slightly while raising your legs together off the floor. Exhale, and bend your knees, bringing them in to the chest. Inhale and straighten the legs again, then exhale and crunch. Repeat this process 10 times initially, but work up to 20 or more repetitions.

Plank Pose

This exercise can be done with a chair or desk. Again, if using your office chair, make sure the wheels are locked or it is braced against the wall. Face your chair and rest your palms or forearms on the seat, keeping your upper arms straight and your shoulders strong. Walk your legs out behind you, until you come into an inclined plank pose. Keep your legs straight and together. Breathe deeply and hold for up to one minute. Rest, then repeat two or three more times. Hint: the closer your body is to the floor, the more challenging it is. Try lowering the chair as your abdominal muscles get stronger.

Seated Twists

Yoga twists help lengthen the side body and relieve tension in the lower back.
This gentle stretch is yoga-inspired and helps tone the sides while relieving tension in the low back. Sit upright in your chair, with your feet flat on the floor. Cross the right leg over the left. Inhale and reach the right arm overhead, then rest it on the back of the chair. Exhale and twist to the right, looking over the right shoulder. Press your left arm against the outside of the right knee for a deeper twist. Breathe deeply and hold for one to two minutes. Rest, then repeat on the opposite side.

Side Stretch

This classic yoga move can be done discreetly while sitting at your desk. Again, sit upright on the edge of your chair. Inhale and reach both arms overhead, interlocking the fingers, and pressing the palms toward the ceiling. Exhale and stretch the whole body to the right, keeping the arms straight. Inhale and come back to center. Exhale again, this time stretching the whole body to the left. Inhale back to center. Begin with 10 repetitions for both sides, and work up to a total of 20 repetitions. Side stretches help lengthen the side body and tone the external oblique muscles.

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How to Get a Flat Tummy in 7 Days

Everyone wants a well-toned body capable of running a marathon and turning heads. Sometimes, we need that look fast. Diet and exercise can change the way you feel and the way your tummy looks. How long that change takes depends on various factors, including genetics and current physical condition. Lifestyle changes can alter the way your pants fit in a short amount of time, but extreme changes take time, and results do vary based on the individual.

Things You'll Need

• Running or walking shoes
• Whole grains
• Water
• Nuts
• Fruits
• Vegetables
• Exercise mat

Tips For You

1. Drink plenty of water. Oftentimes, people confuse hunger with thirst. Maintaining proper hydration ensures that when you feel hungry, you actually need food. Furthermore, getting enough water cuts down on bloating and cleanses the body, which lead to a flatter stomach.
2. Change your diet. Cutting down on the amount of salt and carbonated beverage consumption will lower the amount of water weight you retain. Salt-heavy foods and carbonated beverages cause bloat, especially in the belly area. While dairy, like skim milk, is a staple of a nutritious diet, dairy products can also cause bloating; therefore, cutting down on consumption will flatten your tummy. Limiting or eliminating these items from your diet for the seven days leading up to your target date will reveal a flatter tummy. Stay away from fatty or sugary foods altogether, and replace those late-night snacks with protein and fiber-rich snacks to help burn fat and maintain that feeling of being full. Try fruits, veggies, whole grains and nuts.
3. Move your body. Cardiovascular activities, such as walking, running and biking, can help your metabolism speed up and burn fat faster.
4. Tone your abs. Low-impact activities like pilates and yoga, as well as the exercises included in the Resources section, help strengthen core muscles, reduce belly fat and flatten your tummy. Before doing these abdominal exercises, lay out an exercise mat that is sticky enough to avoid slipping and thick enough to cushion your spine and joints while laying down.
5. Create a consistent sleep routine.Your body needs rest to rejuvenate for the next day's workout and to help your body burn fat. A regular sleep schedule will keep you from overeating when you are tired and encourage you to stick to your tummy-flattening routine.

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