How to Tone Your Lower Stomach

It's summer and you are looking for ways to tone your stomach to fit into that perfect outfit or swimsuit. Possibly you're just looking to shed a few pounds to look great for your summer! Some of the best ways to do this is exercise, a healthy diet, motivation and a positive attitude through it all.

DIET:

For a healthy eating style you should cut out saturated fats, sodium (which can cause lots of bloating), sugary foods, fast foods, and eliminate or reduce red meats. Also reduce dairy product intake, junk food, High fructose corn syrup, and alcohol. Foods you should eat would be the following; lean protein meats such as chicken and fish (make sure to limit fish intake to once a week), eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, fiber (which can be found in fruits, oats, barley, and beans among other foods). Also you can still eat carbohydrates which you need to survive but you can reduce how much you eat. You should eat good fats by eating more foods with omega 3's such as halibut, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, grass fed beef, range fed chicken eggs, and flax seeds.

Make sure you drink plenty of water such as eight glasses a day which is necessary for basic hydration.

EXERCISE:

Here are five exercises to help you out while toning your lower stomach!

1. Leg Raises

Try doing 3 sets of 10 to 20 reps in each.

• Step One: Start by laying on your back and keep your hands and head on your floor, with your legs stretched out straight in front of you.

• Step Two: Lift your legs off of the floor keeping them straight

• Step Three: Raise them at about a 45 degree angle off the floor

• Step Four: Slowly move both your legs down (keeping them together and as straight as possible) until they are about a foot from the floor

• Step Five: Now raise them back up and begin again

2. Reverse Curl

• Step One: Lay on the ground and place your arms behind your head

• Step Two: Bend your legs at your knees so that your feet are firmly on the ground

• Step Three: Pull your knees up towards your stomach

• Step Four: Slowly lower them back down, resting your feet on the floor. Then Repeat

3. Running

Since your legs are directly linked to your lower stomach, one of the most effective exercise for you lower stomach is running. It will increase your heart rate and burn extra fat along with toning your lower stomach.

4. Hip Roll

• Step One: Lie flat on your back with your knees bent and the soles of your feet flat on the floor. Also have arms flat on floor at your sides.

• Step Two: Without moving your upper body roll your knees to the left until they touch the ground, hold for two seconds.

• Step Three: Return to starting position and do the same movement to the right. Alternate sides as you continue

• Step Four: Do 10 to 15 reps for each side

5. Hands VIA Knee

• Step One: Lie flat on your back with knees bent and the soles of your feet flat on the floor. Have your arms stretched out in between your legs.

• Step Two: Lift your upper body off the ground, with your head towards your knees, like you would with a sit-up; keep your legs and arms from moving.

• Step Three: Return to starting position and do 15 to 20 reps or until tired.

Continue to do these exercises and you should be able to see a difference in your lower stomach for the summer!! For more tips and exercises visit these websites as well:

http://www.simple-flat-stomach-exercises.com/lower-stomach-exercises.asp

http://www.tummy-toning.com/category/exercise/

http://www.best-abs-exercises.com/lower-stomach-exercise.html

http://www.tummy-toning.com/70/hands-via-knees/

http://www.flat-stomach-exercises.com/eating-habits.html