10 Steps to Flatten Your Stomach

The infomercials make it look so easy, as if you can simply glide or roll your way to the abs of your dreams. But hundreds of ab exercises won't help you get a flatter stomach. The steps to improve your midsection require a commitment to regular exercise, a good diet and a healthy lifestyle.

  1. Get Moving

    • Your flat belly is there, it's just hidden underneath a layer of fat, which you can burn off with aerobic activity. You need at least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise, such as a brisk walk or bike ride, most days of the week, but should aim for closer to 60 minutes to really burn the fat.

    Pump Your Muscles

    • Add 20 to 30 minutes of strength-training exercises two to three days a week to your exercise routine. The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn. Strength training can also help you reduce the deep visceral fat found around your belly, according to Harvard Medical School.

    Make Your Crunches Count

    • Crunches are a classic ab exercise, but doing them on a mat may not be the best way to get a toned midsection. Effective ab exercises require constant ab stabilization and rotation, according to researchers at San Diego State University. Kick your crunches up a notch and do them on an exercise ball to give your ab muscles a tougher work out.

    Effective Ab Exercises

    • According to the researchers in San Diego, you only need five minutes a day to tone your abs, but you should spend those five minutes doing effective ab exercises. In addition to crunches on an exercise ball, effective exercises include the bicycle maneuver, captain's chair, vertical leg crunch and reverse crunch.

    Take Pilates

    • Crunches only strengthen the top layer of your abdominal muscles. If you really want a flatter stomach you need to work the entire abdominal region, which includes the external and internal obliques, as well as the deepest abdominal muscles, including the transversus abdominis. Pilates is a type of exercise that focuses on those core muscles, plus it also works out your legs, glutes and back, helping you get a well-rounded work out.

    Stand Up Straight

    • It may sound silly, but you can instantly slim the appearance of your pooch by standing up straight. Open your shoulders, draw your navel in towards your back and align your spine to improve your posture and trim your belly.

    Manage Your Stress

    • High levels of the stress hormone cortisol may increase visceral fat, which is the unhealthy abdominal fat associated with a higher risk of heart disease, according to Harvard Medical School. Manage your stress by learning to say no, focusing on the positive and setting aside time to relax.

    Get Your Zzzs

    • Not getting enough sleep or getting too much may also increase visceral fat. If you want a flatter stomach try to get six to eight hours of sleep a night.

    Mind Your Portions

    • When you want to lose the fat covering your abs, you need to watch your calorie intake. Using smaller plates, cups and bowls can help you mind your portions and keep calories under control.

    Make Healthy Food Choices

    • Making healthy food choices also helps limit calories. Fill your smaller plates with fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meats and low-fat dairy products. Avoid foods that make you gain belly fat, such as processed foods that contain trans fats and high-fructose corn syrup.