Bikini body
exercise,diets,fitness
woman with toned flat stomach
We might enjoy a muffin but our muffin tops are no laughing matter and a toned, flat stomach is always top of our most wanted lists. But easier said than done, however, spend a few weeks following these straight forward tips from fitness expert Kathryn Freeland and a defined stomach shall be yours.
1. Trim the fat
exercise,diets,fitness
healthy fit woman
You could get a six-pack Peter Andre would be proud of but if it\'s hiding under a layer of fat there\'s little point in having it at all. Kathryn suggests shedding any excess pounds by incorporating plenty of cardio vascular exercise such as running, swimming or cycling into your workout so that everyone can see the results of your good work.
2. Sit up straight
exercise,diets,fitness
woman exercising on a swiss ball
It\'s time to pay attention to all of that nagging from your mum and sit up straight to help prevent your stomach muscles getting lazy and flabby. Try holding your stomach flat while sat at your desk during the day to give your waist a real workout without sweating it out at the gym. Sitting on a swiss ball is also a great way to tone up the stomach with minimal effort as you have to use the muscles to keep your balance.
3. Stretch yourself slim
exercise,stretch,diets,fitness
woman stretching into the cobra position
Doing plenty of sit-ups is great but if you don\'t stretch your muscles afterwards you risk bulking up. Kathryn suggests putting your arms over your head and stretching upwards in the Cobra position to develop long, lean muscles.
4. Work on your technique
exercise,diets,fitness
woman doing sit ups
Do your sit-ups incorrectly and all of your efforts could be wasted. Before each repetition suck in your stomach and flatten yourself against the floor so your back is completely straight then lift and repeat.
5. Crunch it
exercise,diets,fitness
woman with a toned, flat stomach
To get that defined line of muscle running down either side of your stomach you need to work your Rectus Abdominis muscle. Kathryn suggests performing repetitions of the crunch which involves laying on your back and using your stomach muscles to bring your knees up to touch your elbows.
6. Work your TVA\'s
exercise,diets,fitness
woman witha toned defined stomach
There are many different muscles which help to create a toned stomach and your TVA\'s or Transversus Abdominus is one of them. Work this muscle by doing the plank which involves laying on your stomach, legs together straight out behind you and then lifting yourself off the ground using your toes and by resting on your forearms all the while keeping perfectly horizontal.
7. Tone up your obliques
exercise,diets,fitness
woman with a toned defined stomach
There\'s nothing like a hint of a muffin top to ruin an outfit so get your obliques, the muscles which run down your sides toned up by doing as many cycle twists as you can manage. Simply lay on your back with your elbows bent so your hands are touching either side of your head and twist and lean forward while simultaneously lifting alternative keens so the knee and opposite elbow touch.
8. Beat the bloat
exercise,diets,fitness
bag of french bread
Salt, sugar, wheat and pulses, whatever causes you to bloat be ruthless and cut them out of your diet. Not only will they bloat your stomach but they can also add water weight to your ankles and face. Not a good look.
9. Improve your posture
exercise,diets,fitness
woman doing sit ups
Don\'t just pay attention to your stomach muscles when you work out, work your back as well to help improve posture, avoid imbalance and crippling back pain. Kathryn suggests lying flat on your stomach and lifting up your upper body to work the lower back.
10. Clench and release
exercise,diets,fitness
woman with a toned, flat stomach
We all know that regularly working on our pelvic floor muscles helps to give us better orgasms but what you might not realise is that clenching \'down there\' will help to tighten your lower abdominals. So, the next time you\'re on the bus, in the car or at the supermarket, clench!
