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Get rid of the pooch!by Joni Hyde of WorkoutsForWomen.comIf you're like most women, your "pooch belly," as we so affectionately call it, is one part of your body that is major struggle and it's usually the last thing to go. As cruel as the truth may be, the fact remains that as women, we are designed to store fat in the abdomen. It's not easy to achieve a perfectly flat abdomen, and in some cases, it's impossible. But you can greatly improve your abdominal area and can end up with a sexy midsection that suits your body type. In your workout program, each week you should perform a different abdominal exercise. This system is effective in keeping your abdominal muscles constantly challenged, which speeds up results. When you perform abdominal exercises, focus on the exact area that is being worked. If you don't focus on what you're doing, it's very easy to allow other muscles to do some of the work. If you allow your neck or hip flexors to help you out, your abdominal muscles won't get fatigued or toned. Practice proper breathing technique when working your abs. Always exhale on the exertion. This decreases internal air pressure, allowing you to fully involve the abdominal muscles. No amount of abdominal exercises will reveal well toned muscles if you're padding them with an extra layer of fat. If you're still hanging on to a some extra pounds, this is the area where a few of them can most certainly be found. Abs are very stubborn. Other parts of your body, such as your legs, will reveal you're training efforts and muscle tone much more quickly, since they are much less prone to storing fat. Eating habits are just as critical to leaning up your midsection. Replace sodium, sugar and preservative laden foods with fresh whole unprocessed foods. Drink as much water as you can all day long to flush away bloating. Drink ice chilled water and you'll burn a few extra calories as your body works to warm it up. Also, keep your diet balanced, eating a healthy ratio of carbohydrates, fats and proteins. And, keep in mind, calories do count. Eating too many calories - whether they are fats, carbohydrates or proteins, will keep you well padded in the midsection area. Avoid beer and other alcoholic beverages. They have been associated with a rise in cortisol, a hormone that seems to steer fat toward the tummy. I'm sure you've heard of the ole beer belly. There may just be some truth to that. To burn a few extra calories, try doing aerobic exercise at least twice a week. Including regular cardiovascular exercise into your routine can help to burn some of the extra fat, exposing the muscles that you're building with abdominal exercises. If you've lost the extra body fat, and still don't see well-toned abdominal muscles, increase your repetitions when performing abdominal exercises. If your abs are not fatigued with 20 or 30 repetitions, add another 10 or 20 more. Just keep in mind, 10 or 20 well executed crunches are more beneficial then 50 sloppy ones. An every other day ab workout is sufficient, however, if you'd like to be more aggressive, that's great. You won't over-train your abs, unless you're adding heavy weights. Finally, train your abdominal muscles by simply keeping them contracted when performing all your other exercises, when sitting, standing or driving. Consciously holding them in can reduce back strain and help to flatten the area.
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