Besides the six-pack, a flat stomach may be the most commonly used term when it comes to what one wants to achieve from an exercise program. As overweight and obesity rates soar in our nation, that flat stomach dream seems more and more out of reach. Not only is the mid-section bulge aesthetically unpleasing, there are negative health implications that warrants our serious attention.
Belly Fat
The Mayo Clinic suggests that men and women with excessive belly fat are at increased risk of suffering from heart disease, stroke, diabetes and sleep apnea, just to name a few. While men are more likely than women to gain weight around the waist, women tend to catch up when they reach menopause, as their metabolism slows and their hormone levels change. The most obvious solution to controlling belly fat is to maintain a healthy weight and body fat percentage. This does not, however, guarantee you that toned flat-stomach look that is so frequently portrayed in magazines and commercials.
The One Flat Stomach Rule
With technological advances bringing us all the conveniences, our lifestyles are becoming increasingly sedentary. It's typical for those who have a desk job to sit eight or more hours per day at work, with more sitting to follow during commutes and TV watching. This means we seldom need to exercise anything else in our bodies besides our intelligence and our fingers on our keyboards or smart phones. So even if we are at a healthy weight, we can still have weak abdominal muscles that stick out like a sore thumb. Whatever your weight is, you can make your stomach look as good as possible with this one simple rule--strengthen your deep abdominal muscles.
Deep Abdominal Muscles
The deep abdominal muscles are a group of muscles that lie underneath the superficial muscles (your so called six-pack). These deeper layers of abdominal muscles work like a corset to support your spine and hold your organs in place. They consist of your transverse abdominis, internal obliques and multifidus. When you strengthen these muscles, your waist line will look trimmer and your stomach will look flatter. Beyond the aesthetics of it all, you are also less likely to suffer from lower back pain, another common ailment many Americans are experiencing.
The Plank
The Plank is an effective exercise that strengthens your deep abdominal muscles. Start by lying on your stomach and place your elbows right underneath your shoulders. Get into a half push-up position on your knees or full push-up position on your toes (except that you are on your elbows instead of your hands), and tighten the band of muscle right below your belly button (your transverse abdominus) and your glutes. Keep your lower back neutral and hold the position for 30 seconds to one minute.
A variation of the same exercise that targets your internal obliques is called the side plank. Start by lying on your left side with your forearm pointing forward and elbow resting right underneath your left shoulder. With your head, shoulder, hips, knees and feet all in line with each other, use your forearm and your feet or knees as anchors and lift your left hip up as high as you can. Keep your body balanced and stabilized by contracting your abdominals and your glutes. Hold this position for 30 seconds to one minute. Repeat the exercise on your right side.
Pilates
If you have access to pilates classes, you can learn a variety of exercises that specifically target your deep abdominal muscles. According to PilatesInsight.com, one of the fundamental principles of pilates is centering, which trains your body to initiate all movements from your trunk (abs, pelvis, lower back and glutes) outwards to the extremities. This helps develop that strong core musculature and proper posture that makes you look longer and leaner. With practice and consistency, that flat stomach look is definitely within your reach.
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