Having a flat stomach is one such fitness achievement that pushes us to put in an extra effort. But it can get challenging to find the right exercises for a flat tummy that can target the stubborn fat region. We have shared a few exercises to flatten your belly to keep you motivated and right on track on your fitness journey.
Fitness has always been the ultimate aim of our lives. One central objective of every individual is to get a flat stomach and find good exercise for a flat tummy. Either being consistent with our diet plans or looking for a perfect workout to train ourselves, we tend to look for multiple options that suit our lifestyles and have a well-built core.
Whether you prefer strength training, cardio, or look for workouts that you can do at home, all these are great ways to incorporate exercise for a flat abdomen. We are here to help you chase your carved stomach goals by sharing a few exercises that can be easily be integrated with your regular workouts to give an extra burn of calories to your core and torso.
Floor exercises for flat tummy
While doing these exercises, you must use a yoga poses mat and be conscious of your posture. You can easily do these exercises for a flat tummy at the comfort of your home and can also create a customized workout session.
1. Scissor Legs
Scissors is known to be an abdominal exercise that strengthens the transverse abdominals, helps flatten your tummy, and strengthens your core.
This exercise is not ideal for pregnant women, and if you have back and lower back issues, you can avoid this or modify it accordingly.
How to do scissor legs
Lie flat with your legs together on a yoga mat and arms by your side. Place your palms against the back of your lower back. Now lift your right leg upward, keeping your left leg down. Then move the left leg upward and right leg downward in a criss-cross direction.
2. Straight Legged Sit Up
This sit-up engages your entire body targeting mainly your abdomen, lower back, and hip flexors. It promotes a good posture by targeting your gluteal muscles.
One must avoid this exercise in case of any neck or back region injury. As this exercise for a flat tummy involves the movement of your entire body, you must take the help of a trainer if you are unable to engage your core. This exercise is not recommended for pregnant women.
Steps to do straight-legged sit-ups
Lie straight on your back using a yoga mat on the floor and keep your hands at the back of your head. Lift your upper body off the floor, like moving to a sitting position. Then move backward, relaxing your core. This exercise burns your lower abdominal muscles and works on your lower back.
3. Supine Leg Circles
Supine leg circles involve the movement of your legs, targeting your core muscles and strengthening your hamstrings and quadriceps.
It engages your core, so one must be aware of any pain or discomfort in the knees or back region while doing the exercises. This exercise is not recommended for people with knee and back pains.
How to engage your core for this exercise
Use a yoga mat for doing this exercise. Lie on your back and keep your arms by your side. Now lift both your legs upwards at a 90-degree angle. Then move your feet in an anti-clockwise direction forming a circle in the air. Perform these circles slowly in a controlled manner.
4. Reverse Crunch
This exercise strengthens your abdomen to give you the correct posture. Primarily targeting your trunk and core muscles helps you build your rectus abdomen.
So, when you do this exercise, keep in mind the correct posture. If you are new to this, do it slowly and avoid it in case of neck sprain or severe lower back pains.
How to do a reverse crunch in the right way
Lie flat on your back and keep your knees bent on the yoga mat. Now lift your feet upwards with your knees bent, and then move them backward. Follow this movement to crunch your abdominal region. These exercises focus on burning the stubborn fat on the sides of your stomach.
5. Flutter Kicks
To derive the benefits of this exercise, engage your legs in a defined movement. It targets lower rectus abdominal and hip flexors.
When doing this exercise, keep in mind the importance of the right posture. You might experience pain in the lower back if you arch your back. This exercise is recommended for women in their first trimester of pregnancy.
Let’s see the correct way to do this exercise
Lying flat on your back, place your palms underneath your glutes. Raise both your legs together in mid-air, now kick both the legs alternating between right and left leg. Keep your back and legs straight, and make sure that you don’t lift your lower back off the floor.
6. Leg Raises
This exercise strengthens your calf muscles, glutes, and lower hamstrings. It tones your abdomen.
It is not recommended for people with lower back and knee injuries.
Steps to follow to do this exercise
Lie straight on your back and keep your hands facing either side and palms facing downward. Now gently raise your feet in the air towards the ceiling. Keep your lower back placed on the floor. Don’t lift your lower back and gently lower the legs. Repeat this movement to get that flat stomach.
7. Heel Reaches
This amazing exercise targets your most rigid fat region, your obliques, and also your abs.
While doing this exercise, keep your neck and upper body aligned and perform this exercise slowly to avoid injuries.
How to do this exercise in the right way
Lie down on your back, place your feet on the mat and keep your knees bent. Now lift your head and shoulders off the ground, using side to side taps try to touch your heels from the sides. Use right hand to right side heels and left hand to touch left side heels.
Plank Exercises For Flat Tummy
Plank is one such exercise that strengthens the core muscles and burns the fat around the stomach. It stretches your muscles forming a bridge and straight line. Add these variations to your basic plank to tone your stomach.
1. Plank Reach
Plank exercises involve the movement of your entire body. It benefits your back, neck, shoulders, legs, and abs.
It is essential to do this exercise in the right posture. And it is not recommended for people who are beginners at the gym. To perform this exercise under the supervision of your trainer.
Steps to do this exercise
Starting in the forearm plank position, stretch your body facing the floor. Holding your body in a parallel position, move your right arm forward. Straighten this arm and then move it back in the same position.
2. Forearm Plank
Forearm planks strengthen your muscles around the neck, chest, abs, and arms.
How to perform
Keep your body straight and do not arch your body, and tilt your neck to avoid injuries. Avoid this exercise if you feel fatigued, burnout or have pain in your arms or legs.
Form a pushup position; put the entire weight on your forearms, and bend your elbows and place them on the floor. While doing this exercise, make sure your body is in a straight line. Now hold this position for at least 30 secs and push yourself by increasing the time duration.
3. High Plank
High planks improve your posture and stability. This exercise generally targets your internal and external obliques.
Avoid doing this exercise if you experience pain in your arms and shoulders. People with neck pain should keep in mind the correct posture to avoid injuries.
How to do a high plank
Keep your feet together and body straight. Place your hands on the floor, and they should be under your shoulder. Hold this position for at least 30 seconds and try to increase this duration to 1 minute.
4. Plank Jacks
This cardio variation to a basic plank is a fantastic exercise for a flat tummy and targets your rectus abdomen, abs, and lower back area.
Beginners should avoid this exercise and try doing a mild variation of this exercise.
The right way to do plank jacks
Stand in a basic high plank position. Place your palms parallel to your shoulders. Now jump your feet outward on each side by putting your body weight on your arms, then jump back in. This high-intensity exercise will increase your heartbeat and give you a good sweat.
Exercises For Flat Tummy with Weights
Flattening your stomach is no piece of cake. To achieve this target, you can upgrade your regular exercises to an advanced level by using some light weights like dumbbells and kettlebells. This will burn the stubborn fat that has always been a concern for you.
1. Side Bend
This exercise targets your obliques and ab muscles. It strengthens and increases the flexibility of lower back muscles.
Do not strain your neck, and do not use hefty weights for this exercise.
How to perform
Hold weights in both hands and stand with your feet apart. Now bend on one side with weight in your hand and move back. Then repeat this with another side.
2. Sit Up with Chest Press
It increases the intensity of your abdomen and tightens the abdomen. This helps in strengthening your core and shoulder muscles.
Do not use very heavy dumbbells as they might strain your back. Do it in the right posture, and if you are unable to do it in the right way, take the help of a professional trainer.
The right way to do this exercise
For this, you need to sit on the floor with your knees bent and feet pressed on the floor. Lie down on your back and then curl up your body. Stretch your arms with the dumbbell. Then curl back on the floor and move your arms back.
3. Weighted Sit-Up
It targets your torso by toning your abs, legs, and arm muscles. The added weight can increase the intensity of your workout.
Avoid adding weights if you have a sensitive spine and shoulder. Keep your neck and back in the correct posture to avoid injuries.
How to do this exercise correctly
To perform this exercise, first, lie down in the position when you do a sit-up. Lie down with your knees bent and keep your upper body on the floor. After this, hold the dumbbell in your hand and move them along with your body as you do the sit-up.
You can also perform the high-intensity cardio exercise for a flat tummy that focuses on burning your core muscles like running, epilator workouts, aerobics, etc. If you work out under the guidance of a trainer, do consider the reps and duration of the exercises.
Benefits of flat tummy exercises
When you move your body and exercise, you shed the surplus calories and tone your muscles while improving your flexibility. Here are a few additional benefits of these exercises
- Maintains good overall health and improves the mobility of your body. It makes performing other exercises easier and improves flexibility.
- They help build core muscles and protect you from injuries.
- A better core gives a better posture. Stooping on a chair for extended periods negatively impacts your posture and lower back. These exercises help you to improve your posture.
- When you exercise and stretch different parts of your body, it helps you to improve your balance and stability. It prevents you from stumbling and injuries.
- When you have a strong core, you are prevented from tissue breakage, damaging your core and abdominal region.
- The torso is one such region of the body that is responsible for carrying out the physical movement of your body. It is vital to make it strong and flexible to avoid stiffness in your body and make your life easier.
