Over time you can lose inches and shape your tummy. Before you know it, you will be feeling great and looking sexy!
We all want a flat tummy, nice six-pack abs, right? It may seem nearly impossible because it is one tough area to tighten for most of us, particularly for women. I will not tell you that it is easy, but I will tell you that it can be done.
Remember … no pain, no gain. It is well worth the time and effort to get fit. It also should not be too difficult, especially if you are already active and involved in a regular exercise program. You may need to make some minor adjustments and/or additions to your current routine to incorporate these tummy-tightening efforts.
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Shape and tone the entire body
Let’s make one thing clear first – spot-reducing does not work and is not the way to go. Your body is like a package. You should plan to shape and tone your whole body, not just one problem area. Eating a healthy and balanced diet and maintaining a regular physical fitness regimen is very important and is an automatic given when it comes to your health.
If you are not interested or involved in either of these efforts, trying to just flatten your tummy will be pointless and it will not work. You will only be tightening muscle over fat. The ideal way to go is to get fit and reduce your weight altogether, as one common goal.
Tips to flatten your tummy
Let us look at what is effective and can get you quick and lasting results to tighten and flatten your tummy area, assuming you are working on your overall body fitness and health:
- Begin a yoga/pilates exercise class or follow a DVD. Many of them are short, 15-20 minutes. I personally recommend Denise Austin – Power Yoga Plus and Denise Austin – Mat Workout Based on the Work of J.H. Pilates. Denise Austin has a selection of others to choose from. There are also other experts who offer similar quality products. You can purchase them online or at your local store. Pilates exercises develop a strong “core,” or center of the body. The core consists of the deep abdominal muscles.
- If you are not interested in yoga/pilates structured exercises, you may develop your own routine consisting of tummy-tightening exercises. Sit-ups and crunches are definitely a part of tummy tightening, but there are also other specific abdominal exercises designed for this. There are many resources online or at your local library which will guide you.
- Join a gym and/or get a personal trainer to assist you. Some people prefer hands-on training and benefit more from it.
- Similar to kegel exercises, which control the muscles of the pelvic floor and surrounding areas, you can strengthen and tighten your tummy. It is the same concept and is virtually effortless. You can quietly and inconspicuously perform these exercises as you are sitting at your desk at the office, lying in bed, watching TV, etc. The idea is to concentrate on controlling and tightening the abdominal muscles. You slowly tighten them as you suck them in toward your center core.
If you are consistent with these tips, especially using a combination of them, it will not be long before you start seeing results. Over time you can lose inches and shape your tummy while toning your body and eating healthy. Before you know it, you will be feeling great and looking sexy!
