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Q. I recently just had my second child and am getting so tired of my stomach, which was huge even before I had kids. It is the lower and upper stomach- not just one. PLEASE HELP. I am open for any suggestions... - Katie A. You're not unlike many women when you describe your struggle with your abdomen. It's usually the last thing to go. 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 just fine. When you perform your abdominal exercises, focus on the exact area that is being worked. If you don't really 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. 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. If you've already 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 your entire mid-section.
Other recently asked questions: WorkoutsForWomen.com provides home exercise programs for today's busy women, under the guidance of a certified personal trainer.
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