Can You Get a Toned Tummy at Home?

Hey guys – you know I love my gym, and I love my P90X Ab Ripper X video…but sometimes I want a little variety in my workouts without the DVD barking orders at me and I want to do something without a full workout, so I got this list of ab workouts to do at home.

George Stepanek

A toned stomach seems to be the Holy Grail of women’s fitness.. Although there’s focus on toning everything else, a tight and flat stomach is what so many women strive for (including me!). And although it’s not the be-all and end-all, it is a nice thing to have. If you don’t have a lot of time for the gym, or you feel like your time at the gym isn’t doing enough, there are lots of ways you can tone your stomach at home. You can even do it at the office while you sit at your desk. As well as more strenuous toning exercises like crunches, there are plenty of more subtle exercises you can do anywhere and at any time. If a toned tummy is what you’re looking for, try these simple exercises you can do at home to trim down your midriff.

Crunches
Of all the lower ab exercises, crunches are the ones that everyone thinks of when they want to tone their stomach. There are lots of different variations on crunches, from standard ones to reverse crunches. They’re perfect for exercising at home. An exercise mat will make things more comfortable, but you don’t need any special equipment, so you don’t need to go to the gym. Try bicycle crunches where you bend and straighten your legs or a crunch twist, moving your upper body to the side.

Use an Exercise Ball
Using a stability ball can help you to tighten your tummy. Lie flat on your back, with your arms and legs straight out. Hold the ball above your head and bring it above your chest as you raise your legs to meet the ball. Place the ball between your ankles and lower it to the floor with your legs as you straighten your arms above your head. You can repeat this move 10 to 12 times, but remember to keep your lower back pressed to the floor.

Stomach Toning at Your Desk
Exercises that you can do while you’re sitting down are always great, because you can do them anywhere. If you spend a lot of time sitting at a desk, which many people do, it can help to have exercises you can fit your daily routine without giving up your free time to the gym. One of the easiest ones to do is an ab squeeze. All you need to do is hold in your abs as tight as you can for two to three seconds before letting go. Repeat the movement for a set of reps. You can tighten your oblique muscles too by contracting your muscles sideways.
Ab squeezes are the most subtle exercise because you can do them without anyone noticing. If you want to try some other exercises, they might be best left to your lunch break. Try some seated crunches, by putting your feet flat on the floor and curling your body toward your knees, squeezing your abs as you go. You can also try doing leg pull-ins by sitting on the edge of your chair (not one with wheels!) and extending your legs straight out in front of you. Lift your legs off the floor and lean back slightly, and then bring your knees into your chest as you move forward.

What do you think of these exercises? I am going to try to incorporate the ab squeezes at my desk.