Do sit ups flatten your stomach?

The Sit-Up Myth In reality, classic sit-ups are proven to be ineffective at reducing belly fat and increasing core strength. Additionally, research shows crunches can even be bad for the spine. While sit-ups might help increase strength in the abs, they don't provide stability, which is more important.

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Perhaps one of the most frustrating parts of exercising, especially for women, is when that stubborn belly fat seems to stick around even after you’ve made an effort to do sit-ups or crunches every day. But can you crunch your way to a flat stomach?

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The Sit-Up Myth

Sit-ups are a common physical activity that women and men perform to help strengthen abdominal muscles. In reality, classic sit-ups are proven to be ineffective at reducing belly fat and increasing core strength. Additionally, research shows crunches can even be bad for the spine. While sit-ups might help increase strength in the abs, they don’t provide stability, which is more important. There are more effective ways to strengthen and stabilize your core.

Benefits of Core Workouts

Planks, along with other ab workouts, such as bicycle crunches and mountain climbers, are better exercises to build your stomach muscles. They give you strength and stability in your core that will help you complete other exercises more easily. Planks also provide that toned, defined look that you may have been pursuing with sit-ups or crunches. Unfortunately, ab workouts alone won’t give you a flat stomach. In fact, you can’t target where you want to burn fat. You have to work on burning fat overall. To burn fat, you need to raise your heart rate and body temperature through medium- or high-intensity exercises, depending on your fitness level. Core workouts don’t do that. They target one muscle group at a time, with a focus on muscle building. That doesn’t mean you should stop doing them, though. By increasing muscle mass, you’re raising your metabolism, which helps you burn more calories throughout the day.

Make the Best Plan for a Flat Stomach

If you want a flat stomach quickly, you’ll need to put your exercise plan as second on your list. First, focus on your diet. Cut out foods that bloat and add fat, like those high in sugar, salt, or saturated fat. Drink plenty of water, and eat foods high in fiber like fruits and veggies. Once you’ve got your diet lined up, you’re ready to put together an exercise plan. In general, try to work out at least three times a week for 30 minutes or more. Combine cardio exercises, such a running, walking, biking, or swimming, with strength training exercises, like lifting weights, or squats. Remember that it’s best to have realistic goals and be patient about achieving them. How long it takes you to get a flat stomach will depend on how often you exercise and how well you follow a nutritious diet. If you’ve had multiple kids, you may have a layer of loose skin that remains over your belly, despite how much fat you’ve burned. That’s okay. Any reduction in belly fat benefits your heart and overall health.

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What exercises flatten your lower stomach?

The 10 Best Low Belly Workouts BOAT CRUNCHES. Lie on your back, then lift your feet and bend your knees to a 90-degree angle. ... TRADITIONAL MOUNTAIN CLIMBERS. ... CROSSBODY MOUNTAIN CLIMBERS. ... REVERSE HIP RAISE. ... DOUBLE CRUNCH. ... SCISSOR LIFTS. ... FLUTTER KICKS. ... SCISSOR KICKS. More items...

protips.dickssportinggoods.com - The 10 Best Low Belly Workouts | PRO TIPS by DICK'S Sporting Goods

Tone and enhance your lower abdominals with this simple yet effective workout. These exercises aren’t just for helping to flatten your stomach. They can also help to firm up the muscles that contribute to overall health, posture and balance. You can practice these weight-free movements anywhere – at home, in the gym and even outdoors.

Grab an exercise mat and you’re ready to get started.

THE WORKOUT

For this workout, you’ll do 12 reps per exercise. Once you’ve completed all of the exercises, that counts as one cycle. Continue until you’ve finished three cycles.

Note: For the isometric heel raise, hold each cycle for 30 seconds.

1. BOAT CRUNCHES

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