Its about that time of the year when you want to go for a vacation
and swim in the Ocean. And you want to look mwaaaah in a swimsuit. If
you are feeling a little flabby around the middle, or just want to do a
little toning up, let me give you tips to get that great flat Tummy.
1. Do aerobic exercises daily. Strive for at 30 minutes a day minimum, but include one to two days of rest each week. Take up dancing, running, swimming,
1. Do aerobic exercises daily. Strive for at 30 minutes a day minimum, but include one to two days of rest each week. Take up dancing, running, swimming,
cycling and walking at a good pace anything that brings your
heart rate up.
2. Vary your exercises. To better work the entire abdominal region, combine different workouts. Crunches work the upper abdomen, leg raises work the lower abdomen, and side bends work the obliques (also known as love handles). About 15 to 25 reps each day should be enough. If you can do more than that, try adding a weights to your routine.
3. Burn the fat. Sure, you can do 100 crunches a day, but if you have got a layer of fat covering up your ab work then what is the point? You need to burn the top layer of stomach fat to see the changes.
4. Put your heart into it. Cardio exercises are best as they will heat up your core temperature and improve circulation, both of which will aid in acquiring a flat stomach. Aim for interval cardio training, such as alternating between sprinting and power walking. You can try sprinting for as long as you can. When you become too tired, you should walk. When you feel that you have caught your breath, sprint again. Do these alterations for a total of 20 minutes at a time.
5. Include plyometrics. Plyometrics are exercises that require "explosive power." They combine cardio with strength training. Some great plyometric exercises you can do at home include:
A. Squat-thrust push-ups. Start in push-up position, do one push-up, then push off with your feet and pull your knees up to your chest so your feet land between your hands(still on the ground in push-up position), then jump as high as you can, arms over head. Squat back down with your hands on the floor, then jump back to push-up position again. Do as many as you can do well with good form.
B. Cartwheels. If you do not already know how to do them, once you learn, you can do multiple cartwheels in a row. The quicker you do them the greater the plyo benefit.
6. Strength training. This will improve your muscular tone as well as increase your metabolism, so you will burn calories faster over time. The best strength training exercises (that do not require a gym or weights) include:
-Push-ups
-Pull-ups (You can do these in a park hanging from the branch of a large tree)
-Squats
-Lunges
-Leg lifts
-Crunches and criss cross crunches
-Sit-ups
7. Consider some form of anaerobic exercise as well. To increase your metabolic rate, increase the frequency of your meals to six to eight times a day. Every two or three hours, ingest a small meal. This increased frequency will put your metabolism into overdrive. Do not overeat. For greatest effect, only eat carbohydrates before 2:00 p.m, from then on only proteins.
8. Always get enough sleep. You know you got enough sleep when you wake up by yourself from bed without any alarm clock. Sleep deprivation slows your metabolism.
9. Eat healthier and cut down on junk food. Replace sweets and chips with fruits and vegetables. You will see a world of difference. Eat lots of lean protein. Beans, nuts, and lean meat is rather good for you as long as you do not eat the fat. Eat whole grain breads and grains. If you eat "whole wheat" it is like eating white bread—except with white bread all the good fibers have been stripped away. Whole-grain breads keep you fuller longer than white breads like cakes, cookies, and sweets. Also, avoid high-fat dairy products.
10. Eat smaller meals during the day.To get a flat stomach you should eat many small meals throughout the day. Eat just enough until you feel full; do not overeat, and know which flat-belly foods actually work. Wait until you feel hungry again before eating. Focus on only eating healthy food items, and avoid eating sugar—it will only make you feel tired and will cause you to crave more. It is a vicious cycle!
11. Do not eat anything for about two hours before you sleep. Your body slows down when you sleep so you can not digest food properly. And if you go to bed really late, do not eat past 9:30 pm, because foods eaten late are normally stored as fat.
12. Drink plenty of water. You should replace all your regular beverages with water, especially soda and sugared drinks. Water will make it easier to lose weight. Consider flavored water as an alternative if you must. Drinking lemon water is said to be a natural way of speeding up your metabolism as well. Try squeezing a lemon wedge into a glass of cold water for a refreshing, healthy drink. Your urine should be a light yellow or clear color; dark yellow with an odor could be a sign that you are dehydrated.
13. Lower your sodium intake. Try to decrease your use of salt or other fatty additives to a meal. Adding salt or oils to a dish may allow the body to use the food for your body fat. doing this will decrease your addition of fats for your legs, stomach, buns and even the face.
2. Vary your exercises. To better work the entire abdominal region, combine different workouts. Crunches work the upper abdomen, leg raises work the lower abdomen, and side bends work the obliques (also known as love handles). About 15 to 25 reps each day should be enough. If you can do more than that, try adding a weights to your routine.
3. Burn the fat. Sure, you can do 100 crunches a day, but if you have got a layer of fat covering up your ab work then what is the point? You need to burn the top layer of stomach fat to see the changes.
4. Put your heart into it. Cardio exercises are best as they will heat up your core temperature and improve circulation, both of which will aid in acquiring a flat stomach. Aim for interval cardio training, such as alternating between sprinting and power walking. You can try sprinting for as long as you can. When you become too tired, you should walk. When you feel that you have caught your breath, sprint again. Do these alterations for a total of 20 minutes at a time.
5. Include plyometrics. Plyometrics are exercises that require "explosive power." They combine cardio with strength training. Some great plyometric exercises you can do at home include:
A. Squat-thrust push-ups. Start in push-up position, do one push-up, then push off with your feet and pull your knees up to your chest so your feet land between your hands(still on the ground in push-up position), then jump as high as you can, arms over head. Squat back down with your hands on the floor, then jump back to push-up position again. Do as many as you can do well with good form.
B. Cartwheels. If you do not already know how to do them, once you learn, you can do multiple cartwheels in a row. The quicker you do them the greater the plyo benefit.
6. Strength training. This will improve your muscular tone as well as increase your metabolism, so you will burn calories faster over time. The best strength training exercises (that do not require a gym or weights) include:
-Push-ups
-Pull-ups (You can do these in a park hanging from the branch of a large tree)
-Squats
-Lunges
-Leg lifts
-Crunches and criss cross crunches
-Sit-ups
7. Consider some form of anaerobic exercise as well. To increase your metabolic rate, increase the frequency of your meals to six to eight times a day. Every two or three hours, ingest a small meal. This increased frequency will put your metabolism into overdrive. Do not overeat. For greatest effect, only eat carbohydrates before 2:00 p.m, from then on only proteins.
8. Always get enough sleep. You know you got enough sleep when you wake up by yourself from bed without any alarm clock. Sleep deprivation slows your metabolism.
9. Eat healthier and cut down on junk food. Replace sweets and chips with fruits and vegetables. You will see a world of difference. Eat lots of lean protein. Beans, nuts, and lean meat is rather good for you as long as you do not eat the fat. Eat whole grain breads and grains. If you eat "whole wheat" it is like eating white bread—except with white bread all the good fibers have been stripped away. Whole-grain breads keep you fuller longer than white breads like cakes, cookies, and sweets. Also, avoid high-fat dairy products.
10. Eat smaller meals during the day.To get a flat stomach you should eat many small meals throughout the day. Eat just enough until you feel full; do not overeat, and know which flat-belly foods actually work. Wait until you feel hungry again before eating. Focus on only eating healthy food items, and avoid eating sugar—it will only make you feel tired and will cause you to crave more. It is a vicious cycle!
11. Do not eat anything for about two hours before you sleep. Your body slows down when you sleep so you can not digest food properly. And if you go to bed really late, do not eat past 9:30 pm, because foods eaten late are normally stored as fat.
12. Drink plenty of water. You should replace all your regular beverages with water, especially soda and sugared drinks. Water will make it easier to lose weight. Consider flavored water as an alternative if you must. Drinking lemon water is said to be a natural way of speeding up your metabolism as well. Try squeezing a lemon wedge into a glass of cold water for a refreshing, healthy drink. Your urine should be a light yellow or clear color; dark yellow with an odor could be a sign that you are dehydrated.
13. Lower your sodium intake. Try to decrease your use of salt or other fatty additives to a meal. Adding salt or oils to a dish may allow the body to use the food for your body fat. doing this will decrease your addition of fats for your legs, stomach, buns and even the face.
