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.
Not everyone can devote a large chunk of time to getting in shape. Changing your lifestyle in small ways can help. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Do not drive anywhere that is close enough to walk. Get in a stationary bike or even just pace around your living room while you watch television. Any sort of movement will be better than sitting idle and can slowly chip away at your fat, though nothing beats excellent diet and regular intense exercise.
Whenever you do something like this, target your abs by holding in your stomach. It will give marginal toning to them while you think you are doing nothing at all. This practice is not only good because it gets you in the habit of ’sucking it in’ while in public, but it can help keep your stomach taut.
Crunches are a wonderful way to get yourself in shape. They are better than sit ups because there is less of a chance of doing them wrong and less strain on your back. You lay on your back on the floor with your arms behind your head. You put your legs up with the knees bent at a ninety degree angle. You then, sucking in your stomach, lift your shoulders off the floor and bring your knees in toward your chest, contracting your stomach.
These force you to suck in your stomach and contract your muscles from both sides. With sit ups, they can build a lot of muscle but that may not be what you want. You are looking for long, lean toning, not bulk. Bulk is very bad if you still have a layer of fat on your stomach because it will push your fat out and make you look bigger than you are.
Once the crunches have become an easy habit, you should do something to vary them. Get a rubber exercise ball and use that instead of laying on the floor. It is very comfortable and allows you to target different muscles. The only difference is that your feet will be on the floor instead of up at an angle. You are laying back on the ball and just lifting your shoulders off it while still tightening your abs.
These balls are great for almost any exercise and can target your abs in ways you never thought. It is good to get as much variation as you can since your body tends to get used to repetitive movements. Just be careful you do not lose your balance!