Tummy Toning Exercises

The best tummy toning exercises are the ones that will strengthen the abdominal muscles, support correct postural alignment and protect the lower back. They can be performed with or without abdominal exercise equipment.

Performing tummy toning exercises is only one of the steps involved in achieving a flat stomach. Your ab-flattening plan should be accompanied by a diet, aerobic exercise, hydration and posture correction program.

While specially-designed abdominal exercise will enhance muscle tone, one should not be seduced by the myth of spot reduction. In order to flatten your belly, you will need to reduce your consumption of dietary fat and burn off undigested fat through aerobic exercise. The American College of Sports Medicine suggests a minimum of 30 minutes of aerobic exercise, three times a week. However, in their revised guidelines, they suggest that performing 30 minutes to an hour of aerobic exercise on most, and if possible, all days of the week will provide even better results.

In addition to diet and aerobic exercise, proper hydration is crucial for obtaining the coveted toned tummy. When you are dehydrated, your body will store water. This is a survival mechanism. Unfortunately, water is stored in the form of bloat and bloat usually occurs in the stomach. Drink at least six to eight eight-once glasses of water on a daily basis.

You can perform 100 crunches a day, but if you slouch, or if you have a tendency to arch your lower back, your belly will always protrude. If people are constantly reminding you about your posture, consider participating in a Pilates or other type of posture improvement program.

A flat tummy begins with the ability to voluntarily activate and use your deep core muscles. Unfortunately, this is easier said than done. Many people assume that by simply performing the tummy exercise, the abdominal muscles will be activated. This is simply untrue. The muscles of the back and neck, as well as the hip flexors are often significantly stronger than the deep abdominal muscles. In many cases, they will overcompensate for a weak abdominal region.

Here's a simple way to give your deep core muscles a wake up call. Every day, contract your abdominal muscles and hold them tight for 10 seconds. Do this 10 times a day. Additionally, be sure to use proper breathing techniques when performing abdominal exercise. Your deep core muscles are designed to press against your diaphragm to expel the air during exhalation. As such, you should always breathe out or exhale during the crunch or flexing phase of an abdominal exercise.

The American Council on Exercises is a well-respected fitness instructor certification and research organization. Their 2001 study on the best and worst exercises was both surprising and enlightening. The researchers found the despite the abundance of seemingly clever tummy-toning gadgets, some of the best exercises involved less sophisticated equipment. In fact, the bicycle maneuver, which only uses body weight, was at the top of the list. To perform the bicycle maneuver:

• Lie on your back and raise your straight legs from the floor.
• Place the tips of your fingers at the edge of your head, slightly above your ears.
• Inhale to prepare. As you exhale, lift your head and shoulders from the floor.
• As you bend your right knee, rotate your upper torso toward the leg. Your left leg will be straight and your left hip should remain in contact with the floor.
• Keep your head lifted as you switch to the other side.

The stability ball crunch was one of the top tummy toning exercises in the American Council on Exercise study. Since the stability ball requires balance, you need to use your deep core muscles to stay on the ball. However, not all abdominal exercises need to be performed in the supine position. For example, the stability ball roll-out featured in the photo, works thee deep core muscles while enhancing postural alignment. Here are the instructions for the exercise:

• Kneel, placing your forearms on the ball.
• Inhale to prepare. As you exhale, roll the ball forward, keeping your arms and your back straight.
• Inhale to return.

For best results, perform a variety of toning exercises for the abdominals.

• Pictures of People Exercising
• Women Fitness Models
• Male Fitness Model

• Breast Lifting Exercise
• Contour Abs
• Naked Exercise
• Naked Pilates
• Hula Hoop Exercises