Fitness Friday! Who Wants Abs of Steel?

A common question that personal trainers hear is “what abdominal exercises can I do to get a toned tummy?”

1. Cardio, cardio and more cardio. If you have excess belly fat, you need to do cardio to burn away the fat. You may already have abs of steel, but a layer of fat may cover them.

2. Strength train. The more muscle mass you have, the more you will burn fat calories – even at rest. Building muscles increases your metabolism. The more muscles you have, the more calories your body will naturally burn off each day on its own. As well, strength training will tighten the muscles and improve the appearance of fatty areas.

3. Eat right and slowly reduce your calorie intake. Eat meals containing choices from all four food groups. Avoid saturated fats and bad carbohydrates. Start a food journal to document what your daily calorie intake is. Once you know the approximate number of calories you consume per day, cut 100 calories from your daily diet – as easy as eliminating one Starbucks Caramel Frappuccino or the butter on your toast.

The good news is that while it’s impossible to lose weight from only one part of the body, people who lose overall body weight tend to lose belly fat first. And, if you lose fat, crunches and other ab exercises will start to display those abs of steel.