I consider myself fairly fit, but I do have a bit of a belly. Do you know any good techniques that will help me tone up and lose fat in this area?

answer

You can do all the crunches you want, but your belly will still be there if you don't first lose the fat. By the way, it is perfectly natural for women to have a bit of a belly. Not every women can look like Kate Moss or Naomi Campbell.

You say you're fairly fit, so does this mean that you have a fairly easy training programme? Are you doing aerobic exercise on a consistent basis for 30 to 45 minutes? If not, you might want to consider lengthening your aerobic workout as cardiovascular activity burns calories while you're performing the exercise. You should also be strength training at least twice a week, selecting exercises that recruit all your large muscle groups. This type of workout makes you leaner and helps burn more calories throughout the day.

Doing all this -- and let's not forget about limiting the fat in your diet -- will reduce your body fat overall and in your tummy. Treat your abs like any other muscle group and train them hard two or three times a week. Try the five exercises below to achieve the stomach of your dreams.

5 ways to fit abs 1

Lie on the floor with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Fold your hands behind your head and as you exhale, curl your torso forward until you feel the small of your back flatten out on the floor. Keep your elbows back and use your hands to cradle your head and take the strain off your neck. Do not pull yourself up with your arms. Slowly ease your torso back down to the floor and inhale on the way down. Do 15-25 repetitions.

5 ways to fit abs 2

Lie on a bench. Reach overhead and hold on to the bench. Lift both legs in the air until your toes are pointing at the ceiling. Then, raise and lower your hips without letting them touch the bench on the way down. Do 15-25 repetitions.

5 ways to fit abs 3

Sit on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Stretch your arms out in front of you and keeping them low, lean back until you're halfway down to the floor. Lift your feet off the floor and extend your legs until they are straight but close to the ground. Hold for up to 30 seconds. Do 1-10 repetitions.

5 ways to fit abs 4

Lie on the floor with your knees bent. Raise your legs together so that they form a 90 degree angle. Place your hands behind your head, with your elbows on the floor. Twisting from the waist, bring your right elbow towards your left knee, and at the same time, extend your right leg. Your left elbow should remain on the ground. Complete the set on one side, then change to the other. Do 15-25 repetitions.

5 ways to fit abs 5

Lie on the floor with your knees bent and your feet together flat on the floor. Place your hands behind your head. Let both knees gently fall to one side with one leg on top of the other. Keep your elbows wide and gently curl your torso straight up. Repeat on the other side. Do 15-25 repetitions.

ivillage uk

Five steps to fit abs