Stomach weight loss is a challenge for most people because your stomach is designed to store fat well. It is one area, too, that is not very receptive to toning. You could have fat arms and legs, but if you just start toning them, they will firm right up. Not so with the stomach. You must do cardio and lots of it. Toning alone will, indeed, give you great abs but no one will be able to see them without cardio because the fat will remain and hide your muscles.
The first place to begin and the most constant thing to maintain is your cardio exercise. Without cardio, your stomach will remain completely unchanged. Running, dancing, and biking are great ways to do this. Remember that it is the intensity of the cardio work out, not the length. Make sure you sweat and get your heart pumping. Let yourself be out of breath.
Simple lifestyle changes can really add up. If you take the elevator all the time, take the stairs. If you drive to the store down the block, just walk there. Walk your dog more frequently. Use an exercise bike while you read a book or watch television. Stand instead of sit whenever you possibly can. Even vacuuming or washing the dishes burns more calories than just sitting around.
Whenever you do any of this movement, hold your stomach in as much as you can and feel your muscle clench. This will get you in the habit of doing that. It keeps your abs taut and shapes them slightly while you do not realize it. It is a small technique that can be done anywhere and should be done everywhere. It will also give you a more flattering shape by holding your stomach more in.
For toning exercises, you could do a lot worse than simple crunches. These are the staple for just about every ab work out because they work. These are far easier on your back and neck than sit ups, which are just a pain and do not work that well. Lay down on your back and put your hands behind your head. Lift your legs straight up in the air and then bend your knees at a right angle. Pull your legs into your chest at the same time as you lift your shoulders up and forward off the ground.
Sit ups can be bad for stomach fat because if you do it wrong and do not suck it, sit ups will not create lean muscle. It will make more bulbous muscle that will push your stomach out more. With the fat on top of it, your tummy will end up looking a lot bigger than it really is. You want to go for lean muscle.
To make your crunches more challenging, get an exercise ball. These are the large rubber balls that can be found in any gym store. You sit on the ball and lean back with your feet on the floor. You do just the top part of the crunches where you lift up your shoulders. You cannot lift your legs because they are needed on the floor to balance you. It will challenge you in different ways and allow other muscles in your stomach to get use.
Make sure you have a firm foot hold. These balls are fairly stable but they have been known to roll around under people who are not very secure in their positioning. You can use them for just about any workout variation.
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