Premium
This is an archive article published on April 19, 2009

Four steps to a flat tummy

Getting a flat stomach is easier than most people think. Follow these simple steps and you will see the fat disappear from your belly in no time

Getting a flat stomach is easier than most people think. Follow these simple steps and you will see the fat disappear from your belly in no time

Step up the cardio
Doing hundreds of crunches and sit-ups will not help you lose stomach flab unless you supplement it with cardio. “Doing crunches will only help build stomach muscles. It will not help you lose belly fat. You only lose that by cardio,” says fitness expert Leena Mogre. Start by doing any cardiovascular exercise you enjoy—aerobics,running or swimming. After about 30 mintues of cardio,do stomach exercises such as crunches or sit-ups. You’ll see a flatter stomach in a month.

Don’t fall for stomach-flattening gadgets
They seem to be an easier option but studies say that gadgets that promise to flatten your stomach don’t really work. A study by researchers at Kansas State University,published in The Journal of Athletic Training in February,involved 23 men and women using various flattening devices. The study found that they didn’t have flatter stomachs than those on a regular cardio and cruches routine.

Story continues below this ad

What you eat
Light foods such as salads and fish will help make your stomach flatter as they are easy to digest. Drinking plenty of water will also help you avoid fluid retention. There is no link between the amount of beer you drink and your tummy size. Chewing gum can actually make you get a pot-belly. It makes you swallow a lot of air which inflates the belly. Same goes for smokers.

Don’t starve yourself
It’s important that your diet is low in fat. But eating very little or starving yourself can result in your stomach getting bigger. Cutting calories too drastically increases the production of the stress hormone cortisol and insulin,which controls blood-sugar levels. If you do it for too long,your body will respond by storing excess calories in your abdominal

Latest Comment
Post Comment
Read Comments
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement