How to exercise your way to a flat tummy!

The key to that elusive flat belly? A regimen that works all your abdominal muscles. No need for the gym as you can do them from the comfort of your living room. Doing these exercises daily will have you seeing results in just a few weeks!

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• Determination
• A gym mat or floor covering for comfort.
• 1 litre bottle filled with water

1. Belly rolls strengthen your vertical abdominal muscles. Sit with your legs bent, with feet flat on the floor and arms straight in front of you. Exhale and roll back until your lower back touches the ground and stop for a moment. Inhale and roll back up. Repeat 15 times.
2. In the same position, exhale and roll back until your shoulder blades touch the ground and momentarily stop. Inhale and roll back up. Repeat 15 times.
3. Tummy curls work on your horizontal abdominal muscles. Lie on your back and bend your knees at an (almost) 90-degree angle to the floor with your feet raised slightly higher than your knees. Breathe out, lifting your butt and rolling back to your shoulder blades. Inhale and roll to your tailbone and stop. Try not to let your bottom touch the ground. Repeat 20 times.
4. Cross crunches are hard work but they're miracle workers at cinching waists. You will need a liter bottle filled with water for this one. Lie on your back with your knees bent at a 90-degree angle with the floor. With your left hand cradling your head, hold the water bottle in your right hand. Lift your head and shoulders off the ground and reach across your body, so the bottle is outside your left knee. Pulse 20 times and then switch sides and repeat.
5. Tailbone lifts work your lower abdomen and can help reduce a belly pouch. Lay on your back, with your arms stretched straight over your head and legs fully extended and crossed in the air. While breathing out, lift your tailbone then slowly lower as you inhale. To get maximum effect from this, don't let your bum just drop, you want to resist on the way down. Repeat 30 times.
6. This is a favourite of mine as inverted crunches work your lower back which improves posture and strength. Lie on your belly with your arms in front of you as though you are flying like Superman. Exhale, lifting your right arm and left leg as high as you can. As you inhale, lower slowly. Switch, lifting your left arm and right leg. Repeat 20 times.
7. In the same position, lift both arms and legs twenty times.