You can do a wide variety of exercises at home to help flatten your stomach. To derive the most benefit from these exercises, you should include movements that target the upper, middle and lower parts of abdominals, together with your obliques or love handles. To lose excess fat from your stomach, ensure your exercise routine is accompanied by an adequate nutrition plan.
Basic Exercises
Do crunches for your upper and middle abdominals. Lie on your back on an exercise mat with bent knees and feet flat on the floor. Place your arms across your chest. Ensure your back maintains contact with the floor and crunch your body up. Tense your abdominal muscles and exhale forcibly. Return to your starting position. Do as many repetitions as you can.
Do reverse crunches for lower abs. Adopt the same starting position as in crunches, but place your arms palms-down along your body. Lift your legs and cross your ankles. Lift your knees toward your chest by crunching your body up from the hips. Exhale and tense your ab muscles as you lift. Return to your starting position. Do as many reps as you can.
Alternate Exercises
Adopt the pushup position with both arms straight. Keep your weight on your left arm, exhale and lift your right arm in a rowing motion, with the elbow pointing at the ceiling. Return to your starting position and repeat the movement with your left arm. Do as many as you can.
Return to the pushup position with both arms straight. Align your head with your spine, hold the position for a slow count of 30 while contracting your abdominal muscles. Your ab muscles work intensely to stabilize your body as you do these exercises.
Wall Lifts
Sit on an exercise mat in front of a wall with bent knees and feet flat on the floor. Lean back and rest your shoulder blades against the wall. Place your hands palm-down on the floor beside your hips. Ensure your back is rounded. Lift both knees toward your chest, then straighten both legs and point your toes toward the ceiling. Bring both legs toward the wall and your chest, the move them back. Do as many repetitions as you can, then repeat for three sets. This movement works your lower and middle abs.
Butt Lifts
Lie face down on an exercise mat. Raise your body and balance your weight on your toes and forearms. Keep your legs and body straight. Use your abdominal muscles to lift your butt toward the ceiling. Return to the starting position and repeat for as many reps as you can.
Leg Bicycles
Lie on your back on an exercise mat. Lift your shoulders and lift both knees till they are at 90-degree angles to your body. Place your hands on your temples. Crunch the right side of your body up, and bring your right elbow and left knee together. Straighten your left leg, then crunch the left side of your body up, and bring your left elbow and right knee together. Repeat the movement for as many reps as you can to target your upper, middle and lower abs.
Obliques
These two exercises will help tighten and tone your obliques. First, adopt the crunches starting position and place each hand on your temples. Crunch your body up and twist, trying to touch your left elbow to your right knee. Return to your starting position, then crunch and twist, and try to touch your right elbow to your left knee. Do as many reps as you can.
Lie flat on your back, with knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Reach forward and position both arms about six inches above your knees. Keeping your lower back on the floor, crunch your body up and twist to your left so your right hand hovers over your left knee. Return to your starting position, then repeat the movement with your left hand reaching for your right knee. Do as many reps as you can.
Trunk Twists
Sit upright on the edge of a chair with both feet firmly on the floor. Place a broom handle or light barbell on your shoulders. Keep your back straight and your head up. Contract your ab muscles and twist your torso slowly to your right and then to your left. Do as many as you can to help tone your love handles.
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