Ways to Flatten Your Belly by Summer

 

A toned, flat tummy is a goal many of us strive to achieve in time for bathing suit season, but endless crunches and ditching all your favorite foods until July 4th isn't the right--or fun--way to do it. A sculpted core and trim tummy can be attained by incorporating small changes into your day, like holding in your abs while you walk and adding the right healthy fats to your diet. In our lean belly guide, you'll get diet and exercise tips that will help you eliminate hard-to-reach ab flab and reveal a sculpted, sexy midsection. Here, learn 25 ways to flatten your belly by summer. 


Take Your Gossip Session On A Walk 
Instead of catching up with friends over food and drinks, suggest a reunion on the move-you're likely to work out 104% harder if you have an exercise buddy. Suggest a weekly walk-and-talk session, form a friendly fitness club, or take advantage of gym specials together. You'll motivate everyone to get moving while you grow even closer. 
Deflate Your Muffin Top With The Roll-Up 
Hold a resistance band taut between hands and lie on the floor face up, with legs extended and arms overhead. Pull abs in, tuck your chin, lift arms toward the ceiling, and roll head, shoulders, and torso up and over your legs as far as you can. Keep heels firmly on the floor and reach hands towards your feet. Pause, then slowly roll back down. Do 5 to 8 reps with 30 minutes of cardio 5 to 6 times a week. 

Make Time For Cardio 
If you want to burn the most belly fat, a Duke University study confirms that aerobic exercise is the most effective in burning that deep, visceral belly fat. In fact, aerobic training burns 67% more calories than resistance training or a combination of the two, according to the study.  

Try Out Spidey Moves 
Eliminate spillover spots with the Spiderman Climber: Get into plank position with arms and legs extended, hands beneath shoulders, and feet flexed. Keeping your abs tight, bend your left leg out to the side and bring the knee toward the left elbow. Pause, then return to start. Switch sides. Do 20 reps, alternating sides, with 30 minutes of cardio 5 to 6 times a week. 
Fight Fat With Fiber 
For every 10 grams of fiber you eat daily, your belly will carry almost 4% less fat. Thankfully, there are more enjoyable ways to increase your fiber than scarfing down a box of bran flakes: Two apples, ½ cup of pinto beans, one artichoke, or two cups of broccoli will all give you 10 grams of belly-flattening fiber. 

Be Pushy At Restaurants 
Saying, "I'll go last" when the waiter comes around could be adding bulk to your belly. A recent study showed that a normal-weight woman was more likely to mimic a thin woman's eating habits than an obese woman's. So when you're out for girl's night, order first. You'll keep yourself, and maybe even a friend or two, on track to a flatter tummy.  

Do the Windshield Wiper. 
Lie face up with arms out to your sides, palms down, and legs bent at 90 degrees so feet are off the floor. Keep abs tight and slowly lower legs to the left as far as possible, keeping shoulders on the floor. Pause, then return to start. Repeat to the right. Do 20 reps, alternating sides. 
Add This Green Fruit to Your Diet 
Just half an avocado contains 10 grams of MUFAs (monounsaturated fatty acids), which halt blood sugar spikes that tell your body to store fat around your belly. Eat these in ¼ cup servings to ward off belly fat without overdoing it.  
 
Play Catch 
Get into a crunch position-lie on your back, knees bent, feet flat on the floor, shoulders and head off the floor with your abs contracted. Then have someone throw an exercise ball (or basketball) to you-first to your left side so you have to twist and reach to catch it, and then to your right. Do this as many times as is comfortable, and try to increase the number each week. 

Skip Your Daily Soda Habit 
Where do you think all those bubbles from carbonated drinks end up? They gang up in your belly! Swap soda, diet soda, and seltzer for Sassy Water, a Flat Belly Diet staple beverage
Paddle Off Your Belly Pooch 
Kayaking is an exhilarating, ab-crunching workout. Constant paddling requires lots of twisting and tightness from your abs for long periods of time. For the best kayaking trips, visit kayaking.org  

Sprinkle These Seeds On Your Salad 
Sunflower seeds are packed with tons of MUFAs and B vitamins, which play an important role in protecting against inflammation. Sprinkle two tablespoons on top of your salad and stir-fries. 

Sculpt Your Core While You Walk 
As you go about your day, imagine there's a magnet pulling your belly button back toward your spine. Practice the tuck until it becomes comfortable, and soon this easy ab-engaging move will become like second nature.  
Add Fresh Seafood to Your Plate 
Salmon and other fatty fish are rich in the same omega-3 fatty acids as many belly- fat-busting foods. Try poaching your fish for a low-calorie way to enjoy this lean protein. 

Guzzle More H20 
Forget water weight: Drinking lots of water helps flush bloat that your body might be holding onto in the heat.