How to Flatten Your Tummy
Tips and Advice on How You Can Achieve a Flat Tummy
Before you learn the best way to flatten tummies, you need to understand how the body works and why we gain weight on the tummy in the first place.
Many people think that the need to flatten tummies comes from lack of exercise or not eating properly. This may in fact be the case in some situations, but not always.
Why We Gain Weight on the Tummy
Sometimes there are unexpected reasons for weight gain in the tummy area, resulting in the need to flatten tummies; some of these reasons include:
- Late night meals. To help your family flatten tummies, close down the kitchen at least three hours before calling it a night. Your food needs time to fully digest before you go to sleep each night. If you go to bed on a full stomach, you are at a greater risk for storing fat in the tummy area. If you must eat late at night, opt for something good like a handful of nuts or a banana.
- Genetics. Someone with a tendency to store fat in the tummy area more than anywhere else on the body is said to have an apple body shape. If you find it difficult to lose weight and flatten tummies, look around at your family, especially the ones carrying a little extra weight. They are most likely carrying it in the middle and need to work harder to flatten tummies.
- Stress. Stress increases the need to flatten tummies, but if you are not careful, it can make everything grow. When you are stressed, your body releases a hormone called cortisol. Cortisol causes the liver to make extra sugar that makes you feel hungry and want to eat more. The additional calories go straight to the tummy. Stress also causes improper digestion that leads to excessive gas and bloating.
These are just a few of the factors that can lead to weight gain and a need to flatten tummies. Once you know what is causing the fat storage in your middle, you will be able to determine what to do to get a flatter, leaner stomach.
The Best Exercise to Flatten the Tummy
The best exercises to flatten tummies have been the topic of discussion among experts for several years. You will discover that there are a number of simple ways to strengthen and tone your abdominal muscles; just do not expect to flatten tummies overnight. Here are some exercises that have been proven to provide results:
- Aerobic Exercise. Aerobic exercise is good for the entire body, especially to flatten tummies. Fitness experts recommend thirty minutes of aerobic exercise at least three times a week to keep your tummy slim and trim.
- Hula Hoop. Not only are hula-hoops fun, but it is also a great way to flatten tummies. You can add weights to the hula-hoops for a more effective workout.
- Reverse Curl. This exercise works to tone and strengthen the muscles of the tummy. Simply lie on your back with your legs together and your arms at your sides. Next, pull your legs to your chest and focus on using your abdominal muscles and not your legs.
Do not expect instant results; however, by trying these tummy-tightening exercises, you should be able to flatten your tummy and keep your whole body looking and feeling great.
Foods to Help Flatten the Tummy
If you are looking to flatten your tummy, changing your diet to include the right foods is a great way to start.
These foods hold the key to transforming your tummy and getting rid of belly fat:
- Olive Oil. Olive oil is great for cooking or topping a salad. It contains monounsaturated fatty acid, which is effective in lowering LDL cholesterol without affecting HDL cholesterol.
- Sunflower Seeds. Sunflower seeds contain many B vitamins that are necessary to fight off inflammation. In addition, they also contain Vitamin E and work wonderfully as an appetite suppressor.
- Almonds. Almonds contain monounsaturated fatty acid as well as Vitamin E, which work together to keep cholesterol at bay. Almonds are also a tasty way to get fibre and vegetable protein.
These are just a few of the many foods that are proven to flatten tummies. Integrate these and other tummy flattening foods into your reduced calorie diet to get the results that you want.
