How To Tone That Extra Stomach Roll

Love handles, muffin top, spare tire -- whatever you call it, the extra roll of fat around the middle is unsightly and unhealthy. According to the Harvard Health Publication, extra fat around the middle increases your risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Exercise combined with a healthy diet is the most effective way to tone the roll around the stomach.

Step 1

Perform cardiovascular exercise weekly. Abdominal exercise tones muscles, but won't get rid of the fat. Doing 75 minutes of rigorous or 150 moderate activity a week burns fat, according the Centers for Disease Control. Choose cardiovascular exercises that engage abdominal muscles for additional toning such as hiking, kickboxing and tennis.

Step 2

Do bicycles. The American Council on Exercise ranks the bicycle exercise No. 1 for engaging the rectus abdominus and No. 2 for the obliques. Lay on your back with your knees and feet up. Place your hands behind your head and lift your head and shoulders. Pedal your feet, twisting to reach your elbow toward the opposite knee.

Step 3

Do stability ball crunches. Traditional crunches are not very effective, unless performed on a stability ball, according to the American Council on Exercise. Sit on the ball and carefully walk your feet forward until your lower back is on the ball. Squeeze and lift the glutes so that your thighs are parallel to the floor. Cross your arms over your chest and lean back over the ball without arching. This is the starting position. Lift your torso up about 45 degrees and then return to the starting position.

Step 4

Do Pilates. According to Inner IDEA, the double-leg stretch, the Hundred, the criss-cross, the rollup and the teaser were more effective at engaging the abdominals than traditional crunches. Perform the double-leg stretch by laying on your back. Pull your knees into your chest grabbing your shins with your hands. Contract your abs as you lift your head and shoulders off the floor and extend your legs out about 12 inches off the floor. Reach your arms over your head with your palms up. Return to the start position and repeat.