Tips for toning the tummy please?

[ciaraella]

As others have said light weight training is good for toning. I've been using the Davina super body workout dvd, the super sculpt workout uses light hand weights (you could use tins of beans or 500ml water bottles) and i can definitley notice a difference in my stomach and arms and of course the dreaded back fat!

[EngagedJuly09]

I need some tips for this too

I used to have a flat stomach but I put on weight and most of it went to my tummy

I have really only started trying to exercise properly so it will take a while but I will get there

[scdp]

i was te same ej09, use to horse ride andmy stomach was so flat, would love to go back to it but its to expencive

[ciaraella]

Knee lifts are good too, so if you stay standing, tighten your tummy and raise each knee to your waist while keeping your posture. I do these in one of my dvd's but you could do them while watching telly

[EngagedJuly09]

I am trying to do the exercises on the Wii Fit Plus when I can - they have good exercises on it

[squinn_july2011]

I've started pilates and we do a few different things but this one I feel is good for the tummy.

Lie on your back with your legs bent at the knees. make sure knees are directly over hips. Then two options 1) have your lower leg held straight out from your knee so it'd be parallel to the floor, or 2)leave you lower leg hang down.
Hands on your hips and look at ceiling, then start to draw imaginary circles with your knees, starting small and getting larger. Slower the better for the larger ones. While doing this pull your bellybutton in to your backbone and hold your tummy tight (imagine balancing a glass of wine on it). do 8 circles in one direction and 8 in the other and then repeat 2 or 3 times.
Repeat the whole thing again, only this time try to have your full legs straight up in the air.

Don't do this if you have any lower back issues.

I've done a good few in pilates this morning and you really feel the burn.

[ciaraella]

That sounds great squinn_july2011, i'll give that a try this evening!

[squinn_july2011]

Its great alright but don't overdo it. I can't feel the ache starting in my stomach area cos I pushed it hard in pilates today.

[mrsF2b]

I'm going to a fitness class and when we're working on our lower abs (bottom part of the jelly belly) we lift our legs up into the table top position.
The part of your leg from your hip to knee is at a 90 degree angle to the floor then the lower half of ur leg is at 90 degrees to that so if that makes sense???
Anyway u need to make sure ur back isn't totally flat to the floor and definitely not arched too much either. just enough space to fit ur hand in.
Then you do the belly button thing, its a pilates principle i think. U contract ur core (your lower ab muscles) It's like trying to puul ur belly button in as much as you can, but DON'T hold ur breath.
U can do sit ups in that position, or else try to lift ur bum up, all the time keeping the tension/belly button in. If ur lifting ur bum up u need to really control it. Its a tiny movement but you need to make sure ur not just dropping it afterwards. U use those muscles to do it.
Then you could drop alternate legs towards the floor, keeping the 90 degree angle at the knee making usre the movement is at your hip joint. all the time the most important thing is to keep ur core engaged - keep belly button in and really try to do slow controlled movements.
Hope that makes some bit of sense

[squinn_july2011]

I know that one mrsF2b, we do it as well. You sure feel it in the stomach after a few of them.
For extra omph add in crunches where your elbow is going to the opposite knee as it comes back up. Pure hell. But keep going

[FITTLadiesBootcamp]

You may be be suprised to learn walking/cycling/jogging are BEST options! and changing food choices.
This little 'food pouch' as I call it, is a result of bad food choices.
Any 'extension' of the legs is best exercise to lose this area.

[Roxy2008]

Was also shown that exercise last week by our workout instructor, specifically for the lower belly, under he ballybutton, seems to be much like you have said. Have your hands just over your head and hold onto something steady (ie. the bed) and with the knees bent parallel with your hips, lift your bum very slowly until your knees are raised to near your head.

I still have to start them myself, had no mat 2 weeks ago and my back was too sore from the floor, got my mat last week and still haven't managed these yet

[dresstoimpress]

Yoga is good. I'm the same, weight always goes on the tummy first.
But I find yoga really helps, it improves posture, and makes you conscious of holding in your stomach.
The plank is the best for the upper arms and stomach. Very sore ( basically holding yourself in a push-up position) But definately gets results.

[ko82]

after havin 3 kids i found a combination of pilates, walking uphill with a buggy and substituting one meal a day say lunch, with a homemade smoothie and 2 rice cakes did the trick! people didnt belive i had children!!

since having the fourth one last year im gone sooo lazy. i drive everywhere, eat junk all day. its terrible even with getting married next year i cant motivate myself!!!!!

[Paul-Hurley]

Hi Sassy,

To get rid of any fat around the body, there are a number of options.

What most people do is cut calories by going on a diet of some type. The danger for women in doing this is that they risk losing lean body tissue (muscle) which slows down their metabolism. When this happens, the fat usually comes off the exact place where they usually don't want to lose weight (the breasts), yet the fat still stays on exactly the area they wanted to tone up (e.g. lower tummy).

To speed up your metabolism, do some form of strength training. This will help you tone and tighten, with your body burning more calories than before, even at rest. Rather than going on a diet, concentrate instead on making small improvements in your daily eating habits. Lots of little changes add up, making weight loss straight foward and pain-free.

Hope that helps,

Paul