I hate to break it to you, but here goes: you need to exercise to lose fat. And cardio is one of the best ways to burn it off. For beginners, 20 to 30 minutes of cardio every other day will suffice. As you begin to grow accustomed to the routine, change it up; work your way to 45 minute (or longer), moderately intense workouts. Intensify your results by keeping your abdominals tightened during the workout, or by choosing activities that are designed to strengthen your core muscles while you work. Cardio doesn’t have to be a boring stint on the treadmill or stair-stepper (although if that’s what you like, go for it!) … it can be bike riding, jumping on a trampoline, playing an intense sport, or taking an engaging step, spin, kickboxing, or aerobics class. It can be anything that gets your heart going and keeps it sustained at a steady rate for the desired period of time. Make it something you enjoy doing, and you’ll hardly notice that it’s exercise!
Is it crunch time?
Contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to spend hours doing tons of sit-ups and crunches to get the tight, toned abs you envy. It is the quality of the muscle toning moves, rather than the quantity, that is most important in this area. The key here is efficiency: it pays to become extremely conscious of your abs during each exercise you do. Make the most of each movement and squeeze the muscle as tightly as you can. Slow and steady repetitions, done perfectly, are much better and more effective than multiple sloppy reps.
Crunches do work, but they don’t work the entire abdominal area, so don’t expect a six-pack from doing them alone. To get a flawlessly toned midsection, you have to make sure to incorporate all the abdominal muscles, not just the ones engaged when you do crunches. Incorporate variety into your routine by including different movements. Rotational exercises, those that involve twisting action, work the sides of the abs and are very effective when done properly. Regardless of the type of exercise you are doing, there are a few points to remember:
Keep your abdominal muscles taut and your belly button pulled in, toward the floor, at all times.
Never pull on your neck or head, because that can cause injury.
Be mindful of your abs and let them do all the work; don’t use your legs!