Best Flat Belly Exercises

WHAT IS YOUR CORE Exactly? Most people really don't know and that's why they are online searching out the best flat belly exercises and thinking they will be doing 100's of crunches. Wrong!  

Your core is FAR more than just your ab muscles. It also includes your spine, pelvic girdle, abdomen, and hip joints. Some definitions even include your lat (upper back) muscles.

Plus, your shoulders and chest play a role in your core stability and strength! That means it’s helpful to think about your entire TRUNK comprising your core muscles.

When all of these muscles are aligned and working together, your core is stable and strong. And when your core is stable, your entire body benefits! You're stronger, more balanced, and can generate more power when needed – helping to prevent injuries and falls!

But when your muscles are out of balance ... it can lead to instability and core weakness, contributing to pain, lack of flexibility, and injuries.

I will share with you my top 5 best flat belly exercises that you can start doing today! Keep reading :)

So here is an example: If you sit hunched over a computer for hours a day at work, it can cause your chest, shoulder, abdominal, and hip flexor muscles to become short, tight, and “activated,” while your back and glute muscles lengthen and become less active.

So now you have rounded shoulders, weak abs, sleeping glute muscles from sitting on them and poor circulation overall.  This is a hazard of modern day living.

You can see how it wouldn’t take very long for this to affect the stability and strength of your core muscles, especially considering how many hours we spend on our computers and looking at our phones.

Become AWARE of your core muscles before worrying about the best flat belly exercises.

It'll help you activate and isolate your deepest layer of abdominal muscles, called your transverse abdominis muscles (TVA).

These muscles run between your ribs and pelvis, horizontally from front to back.

When they are activated, they form a natural “girdle” around your internal organs and your lower spine, supporting them.

They help stabilize your spine while you use your arms and legs.

This simple exercise helps build awareness of those muscles, and also learn how it feels to engage them.

NOTE: Your posture and alignment are very important during this exercise, so try to do it near a mirror where you can sneak a peek at yourself or take a video using your phone so you can check for any alignment issues.

Kneel on the floor on all fours, in a tabletop position. Your hands
should be underneath your shoulders and your knees directly
below your hips. Make sure your back is straight and your head is
in line with your spine (your chin will be slightly tucked).
From here, keep the rest of your body still as you pull in the area
just below your belly button so that it moves closer to your spine.
It can be helpful to visualize zipping up a pair of tight jeans.
Making sure to breathe, hold this position for 15 seconds. Relax.
Repeat for 5-8 repetitions.

You might feel some muscles (including your neck) shift or try to compensate for this drawing-in position. Do your best to keep everything aligned, while still breathing and relaxed.
The “drawing-in” feeling is what it means to engage your abs.

TIP: You don’t have to kneel on the floor every time you want to
engage your abs, but this exercise is one of the best ways to feel
them in action until you are used to it.

Now that you know how it feels, you can practice core engagement and one of the best flat belly exercises even while you are just standing and sitting. Or showering, or driving or brushing your teeth :)

Without question, how you stand, walk, sit, sleep, and move every day (and night) will give you the biggest results in creating a
strong and aligned core.

Good posture does NOT mean holding your body stiff, with rigid shoulders and a fully braced core.

Instead, it’s about having core muscles that are strong enough to hold your spine in alignment while you’re relaxed (yes, it’s possible!).

This is important because poor posture doesn’t only cause aches and pains, but it can affect the long-term health of your spine and joints … and it even plays a role in your breathing and digestion.

So what exactly is good posture?

There are actually TWO kinds of posture.

DYNAMIC POSTURE is how you hold your body when you are moving – walking, doing chores, exercising, etc.

STATIC POSTURE is how you hold your body when you’re not moving – when you’re sleeping, sitting, or standing.

And both matter!

Your spine is the key to your posture. It has three natural curves - at your neck, mid-back, and low back.

Your head should be above your shoulders, and the top of your shoulders should be over the hips.

Good posture keeps these curves at their perfect angle.

Here are some quick tips to help improve your posture

When standing, make sure your:

- Shoulders are back, stacked over your hips.
- Ab muscles are engaged.
- Knees are soft (not locked).
- Hips are in a neutral position – not tipped back (sticking your butt
out) or curled under.
- Head is level.
- Arms are hanging down naturally at your sides.
- Feet are shoulder-width apart.

When sitting:

- Your chair should support your back. Use a pillow if your chair
doesn’t have a backrest that supports the natural curve of your
lower back. It should also support your thighs and hips.

- You should have a padded seat, and when you sit your thighs and hips should be parallel to the floor, and your feet touching the floor. If your chair or desk is too tall for you, you can place a footrest under your feet.

- Keep your shoulders relaxed. Make sure they aren’t rounded
forward or pulled back.

- Avoid crossing your legs.

- Switch sitting positions to avoid muscle tension.

- Take brief walks every hour.

- Gently stretch your muscles every hour or so to help relieve muscle tension. 

5 Best Flat Belly Exercises 

1) DRAWING-IN MANEUVER

This is the exercise that I explained earlier, to help you feel your core engage. Each core-strengthening session begins with this move!

2) PLANK

Lying on your belly on the floor, place your elbows on the floor, directly under your shoulders, with your forearms on the ground.
From here, pop up on your knees and then lift them up from the floor, into the plank position.

Your body should be in a straight line from your heels to the top of your head.

Engage your core, as well as your glutes & quadriceps (front of your thighs).

Double-check that your head is in alignment – your eye gaze should go to a spot between your hands, and make sure you’re not pressing up through your back.

Your shoulder blades should be lightly drawn together to avoid hunching. And don’t forget to breathe! Try to hold for 30 seconds

3)  BRIDGE

Lie on your back with your hands at your sides, palms facing up toward the ceiling.

Your knees should be bent and your feet flat on the floor, close to your butt and under your knees.

Engage your ab and glute muscles and push your low back into the floor, then press your hips up. You should have a straight line from your knees to your hips to your shoulders.

Keeping your core and glutes engaged, hold for 2 to 3 seconds before lowering.

Repeat for a total of 8-10 reps.

4)  BIRD DOG

Kneel with your knees hip-width apart and your hands flat on the ground under your shoulders.

With your core engaged, tighten your core by doing the drawing-in maneuver.

Maintaining a neutral spine with your abs engaged, reach your right arm straight in front of you while extending your opposite (left) leg behind you.

Think “long” and not “high” when lifting your arm and leg. If you find your back starts to sag or your hips rotate, only lift your leg as high as you can while keeping good posture.

Hold for 2-3 seconds, then return to the starting position and repeat on the opposite side, keeping the movements smooth and fluid.

Repeat for a total of 5 repetitions on each side.

5) SIDE PLANK

Lie on your right side, your legs extended in a straight line from your hips, your top leg stacked on top of your bottom leg.

Place your right elbow directly under your right shoulder.

Engage your ab muscles, drawing in your belly button toward your spine. Lift your hips and knees from the mat, holding your torso in a straight line.

Hold for 15-20 seconds and repeat on the other side.

NOTE: If you notice your body bending forward or your hip sagging,
bend your bottom knee at 90º to give your body more support.

I hope you found these 5 best flat belly exercises helpful and actually start implementing them into your day!

Over time, you’ll notice even MORE improvement
not just in your strength and fitness, but in your
energy levels and even in your aches & pains.

I firmly believe a holistic approach is the best
when it comes to creating a healthy lifestyle you
can maintain.

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