Need a quick fix for your flab? You don’t have to think
“long-range.” Here are three simple tips for busy people wanting to fit
into their old jeans:
1. Burn the flab
with exercise.
| The classic bicycle exercise remains to be one
of the most effective and easy-to-do exercises aimed at toning the abs.
Here’s how it’s done:
a. Lace fingers
behind head and lie in a supine position.
b. Lift shoulder
blades (without putting pressure on the neck) and bring knees in
towards your chest.
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c. While turning the
upper body to the right to bring the left elbow to the right knee,
straighten out your left leg to a 45-degree angle.
d.
Switch to the other side.
e.
Repeat these steps for 12 to 16 times using
a vigorous pedaling motion,
alternating sides.
You can also engage in several reps of side leg lifts and
oblique twists which all help to tone your abs. Another
discreet way of toning your ab muscles is tightening them
while you’re standing in a checkout line or at the bank. No
one will suspect you’re doing a quick workout!
2.
Have fun while you’re at it.
If you’re not into the exercise routine but still want to look great
in time for a special event, you can engage in an activity which you
actually enjoy.
Britney Spears, for instance, has been taking dance classes
at the Millennium Dance Studio in North Hollywood to regain the body
she once had.
Aside from these lessons, she has also been seen playing tennis, which
can effectively burn around 450 calories per hour.
3.
You are what you have eaten.
Most women over the age of 35 have gained weight not because of
excesses in their diet but because their lives are less
active and they are thus are unable to burn calories as much.
You can combat a not-so-taut tummy with a well-thought out diet
– something that won’t leave you starving but would instead give you a
youthful glow.
Here’s some trivia on how what we ingest affect the way our tummies
look:
- Drink tea. Herbal teas are best
for countering gas and flattening your tummy. They are
also known to work as toxin flushers. After
dining, brew some peppermint tea and add a dash of dill or fennel to
make it more effective.
- OJ your way to fitness. Extra sodium in our
bodies gives us unwanted bloating. A great solution to this drinking a
glass of fresh orange juice each day.
- Don’t forget to hydrate. Your target should be
to take at least six glasses of water every day. The more
water you drink, the flatter your tummy will be.
- Reduce alcohol intake.
Alcoholic drinks are packed with calories – beer is at 250 per pint –
and its gases leave you feeling bloated. In addition, drinking
alcohol also makes you crave sweets, so it’s best to
just stay way from them while you’re aiming for a flat tummy.
- Turn to yogurt. They are rich
in protein and are full of beneficial bacteria which help
in proper digestion of food. They
also help eliminate bloating or wind caused by bacterial imbalance in
the stomach. The same things can be said for fruits such as kiwi,
papaya, and pineapple.
- There’s truth to the principle of
eating smaller meals several times each day.
Go for foods with slow-releasing carbs such as wholemeal bread and
porridge. These likewise provide energy but make you feel fuller longer.
