MYTH or FACT: Sit-ups are the best way to a flat tummy.



MYTH or FACT: Sit-ups are the best way to a flat tummy.

FACT : Firstly, lots of sit-ups or crunches alone won't tone a flabby belly - you need to combine any exercise with an overall weight-loss programme: eat a balanced diet and take regular varied exercise. Exercise does not have the ability to change the size of an organ. However, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t exercise to help shrink your waist line, since performing abdominal exercises can help tighten the muscles in the abdomen. Plus, being active will help burn off the layers of fat that accumulate on the outside of your body, as well as the internal fat layers that you can’t see.
Sit-ups target the most superficial 'six-pack' core muscles, but too many of these will cause the tummy to bulge out, leading to a pot belly.
If you perform a dynamic movement such as a walking lunge while rotating the top half of your body at the same time, you target all the abdominal muscles as well as other large muscle groups that burn more calories and body fat - it is these kinds of moves that will help give you the tummy of your dreams.
Sports and exercise that are great for this include yoga, Pilates and even golf. Many dancers and gymnasts have fantastic flat midriffs due to the varied movements that they perform, rather than as a result of sit-ups.

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