You can't spot-reduce stomach fat, but you can lose inches and achieve a flatter stomach with healthy eating habits combined with regular exercise. To maintain enthusiasm and maximize results, engage in a varied program of abdominal exercises that includes aerobics, Pilates, stability ball and traditional exercises.
Aerobics
Aerobic exercise revs up your heart rate and sculpts your waistline by burning the fat that covers your stomach muscles. Heart-pumping step aerobics, a high-intensity, low-impact set of moves choreographed around an elevated bench, focus on contracting your abs while you step, thereby helping your abdominal muscles to firm and strengthen. Additionally, swimming offers continuous fat-burning resistance, and jumping rope provides abs-burning benefits to the tune of 730 calories per hour for a 160 lb. person, according to MayoClinic.com.
Pilates
Pilates exercises not only increase strength and pelvic stability, but they also help develop strong ab muscles and a flat stomach. Hip rolls and curl-ups target the obliques -- the muscles located along the sides of your midsection that are responsible for bending and twisting. Enhancing your obliques aids in shrinking love handles and sculpting your waistline, while exercises that require pulling in your core muscles, such as the abdomen tuck, flatten tummy bulge.
Traditional Exercises
MayoClinic.com notes, "When you lose weight and tone your muscles, your belly fat begins shrinking, too. In fact, you may notice that your tummy bulge is the first area to shrink when you start exercising." Traditional moderate-intensity exercises that target your abs, including crunches, side bends with weights and basic sit-ups, aim to strengthen your abs, whittle your waist and flatten your tummy. Planks, reverse curls and leg raises also yield benefits. The American Council on Exercise rates the captain's chair and the bicycle maneuver, however, as two of the top exercises for tightening your tummy. The captain's chair exercise involves pulling your knees up toward your chest while sitting on a piece of gym equipment called the captain's chair. To perform the bicycle maneuver, lie flat on the floor, interlace your fingers behind your head and slowly execute a bicycle pedaling motion.
Stability Ball Exercises
Stability ball exercises target your core muscles, but the increased level of resistance allows your muscles to work much harder than performing similar exercises without a ball. Anne-Marie Millard, author of "Firm Abs, Flat Stomach," recommends back extensions and ab curls off a ball. Additionally, flies and floor push-ups with a ball help create a leaner midsection. To perform a fly, rest your upper back on a stability ball with your knees bent at a 90-degree angle. While holding weights, extend your arms straight up toward the ceiling, and then slowly lower your arms out sideways. For a ball push-up, rest your legs on a stability ball, and then execute a normal push-up movement.
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