Tummy toners

mood

I've a back problem and have been advised not to do sit ups. Is there any other way to tone the tummy muscles?

thegreatiam

in what way? toning the stomach for more AB definition or getting a 6 pack is done through diet.

exercise can strengthen the stomach muscles, but unless you eat right you wont be able to see them.

But with a sore or weak back you need to be careful. You also need to exercise the back, not the stomach. Tell us your problem and be more specific about what your goal is and we can advise more appropriately.

mood

I'm female and don't want a 6 pack. I just want a flatter tummy. I am slim and don't need to or want to loose weight.

Stench Blossoms

mood wrote: »

I'm female and don't want a 6 pack. I just want a flatter tummy. I am slim and don't need to or want to loose weight.

You are slim apart from your stomach, is that what you are saying?

mood

Stench Blossoms wrote: »

You are slim apart from your stomach, is that what you are saying?

No. I'm slim but want to be more toned all over including my tummy.

Stench Blossoms

mood wrote: »

No. I'm slim but want to be more toned all over including my tummy.

Then you need to add muscle and lower your body fat percentage.

You can do this with exercise, preferably strength training and eating a well balance diet (that doesn't include processed foods such as cereal and pasta)

Jev/N

Echoing what Stench Blossoms already said above, contrary to much marketing blurb, you don't and can't lose weight from a particular area on your body. (Well, you can in the form of visceral fat but I doubt that'd be the case here, so it's off the point)

You'll have to lower overall body fat percentage to reduce it wherever there currently is fat.

As for exercises, it's very difficult to say what you can do as anything like pull-ups, leg raises, bicycles, planks etc. would be stressful on your back, particularly if you don't do them in the correct manner.

thegreatiam

toned =more definition to your muscle shape. Not big muscles am I correct?

That's diet. There is a thin layer of body fat all over your body that makes it harder to see the edge (definition/tone) of your muscles. the reason people look toned is because they have less body fat, for female around 15% and you will look well toned, for males around 10%

The body fat tends to gather in some place not others, but it is all over. It will show more on your butt, belly arms and face because that's where it like to be. but it is still on your legs, back etc. lowering the total body fat will make your tummy look more toned.

exercise will make the muscles stronger.

Doing all the sit up/belly exercises wont tone your tummy if you still have that layer of body fat. It might actually have the opposite effect because strong muscles get bigger which will make your tummy look bigger.

Adjust your food and it will quickly go.

Im more interested your back problem, doing exercise with a back issue can make it worse. Find out exactly what exercise you can and cannot do from your medical professional. and try to implement it.

you may need to strengthen your back, any exercise will burn overall body fat and help give you a more toned look .