Although stomach exercises aren't the only way to achieve flat abs, they are certainly beneficial for building and toning muscle. Combine regular belly-toning exercises with a balanced, healthy diet and frequent aerobic exercise to achieve optimal results. Work all the abdominal muscle groups, including the rectus abdominus, transversus abdominus and obliques, and incorporate several exercises for your core muscles to attain an overall sculpted appearance.
Crunches
Perform a variety of crunches to ensure overall stomach tone. Begin with basic crunches. Lie on the floor with your knees bent and your arms behind your head. When you do any kind of crunch, always use your breath to maximize the intensity and effectiveness. Inhale to begin, then exhale as you lift your shoulders, head and upper back off the ground. When you exhale, draw the abdominal muscles in toward the spine to strengthen the core muscles. Basic crunches are an easy abdominal workout for everyday strengthening, and they are also an effective way to practice abdominal breathing. Do 25 in the morning and 25 in the evening to start out.
Oblique Crunches
Follow basic crunches with a workout for the oblique muscles along the side of the belly. Well-toned obliques result in a trimmer waistline. With your knees still bent, rest your right ankle on the top of your left knee. Keep your hands behind your head as you lift your upper body toward your right knee, twisting your torso to the left. Do 20 repetitions, then repeat on the left side. When you perform oblique crunches, lift your torso off the ground, as if you were aiming toward the ceiling. Avoid simply twisting one way and the other, since this will be less effective. Oblique crunches are especially beneficial if you want to lose your "love handles" on the side of the stomach.
Abdominal Hold
The abdominal hold strengthens and tones your belly as well as your legs. Abdominal holds are done while seated in a chair, and involve using your core muscles to push yourself off the chair and hold this position. The temptation with abdominal holds is to hold your breath when elevated off the chair. Keep breathing to avoid injury and provide maximum strengthening for the abs. Abdominal holds are also an excellent strengthening exercise for the arms.
Leg Lifts
Leg lifts are a challenging alternative to crunches that tone the belly. They are particularly beneficial for the lower ab muscles, which are a common problem area. While lying flat on your back with your hands and feet completely extended, bring your legs up into the air until they are perpendicular with the floor. Keeping your legs straight, inhale and engage your abdominal muscles. As you exhale, lower your legs until they are about 2 or 3 inches from the floor, then bring them back up. According to BodyBuildingforYou, leg lifts should be done on a daily basis due to their overall strengthening ability.
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