Our tummies are always the hardest to trim whenever we decide to shape up. We do crunches and sit-ups to get rid of the bulge and unwanted "love handles," exerting so much effort into toning and firming them up, yet with little or no results--until after at least a month of doing them daily. But did you know that there’s a simple way to achieve a flat belly?
The secret, if you haven't discovered it yet, is simply practicing good posture. Abdominal muscles are partly responsible for holding our bodies upright, and research from a Yahoo! Health article showed that poor posture contributes to "belly slump," common to women especially after giving birth.
No need to worry since posture can easily be corrected, and it even has a bonus: "Correcting poor posture can make you look five pounds slimmer instantly," said Deborah L. Mullen, a certified strength and conditioning specialist in San Luis Obispo, CA.
A study in Australia observed 20 people who tended to slump in chairs: when the subjects stood with their backs erect, muscles "jumped to attention" after staying slack while slouched. "The less we use our muscles, the weaker they become," says posture researcher Thomas Cowan, MD.
The solution, other than trying yoga or Pilates, is simply to make it a point to stand and sit up straight more often. If stomach crunches never worked or are too strenuous for you, working on your posture is certainly a good alternative!
achel_wei
Wow, nice info. Thanks. :)
September 3, 2008 at 6:40 amnaniace
it's very true.. :)
September 4, 2008 at 5:02 amicyfwo
great info! maraming salamat..i'll tell my friends about this..=)
September 5, 2008 at 10:02 amladyellehcor
wow!ill definitely do this. I noticed that i tend to slump na sa chair ko sa office specially after giving birth that makes me kuba even when standing na.
September 9, 2008 at 5:38 amrah_rah
nice info!!! thanks! great help guys!
October 16, 2008 at 10:17 ambhing_810
good thing i read this...hmmm, gonna practice good posture.hehehe
October 21, 2008 at 6:04 amjessicamarielim
good posture is so easy to do but so easy to forget about also! in less than 2 minutes, i'm back to slouching on my chair!
November 16, 2008 at 1:40 pmsonja_chris85
well hope that will help since i admit that i have a bad posture
December 15, 2008 at 9:51 amutotmopink
I always try to correct my posture everytime I notice myself slouching, but I just gave birth. My baby is now 5 months old
February 25, 2009 at 12:55 pmsuper_selosa
true nga yata. sabi kasi ni husband, kaya daw mas lumalaki yung puson ko kasi nakukuba daw ako :(
March 1, 2009 at 11:53 ampwinset
Ive been wanting to have a flat tummy. Got it until I gave birth nga.. im 1definitely trying that. thanks
March 2, 2009 at 3:01 amsassy101
this is effective talaga... good posture can take away a few flabs hehehe
March 2, 2009 at 2:35 pminaliel
tnx for the reminder
April 17, 2009 at 2:30 amchel_2569
its true indeed..
June 20, 2009 at 5:05 amchry6291
thanks for the info! i really want to have a flat belly eversince coz i want to wear a 2 piece. i would do it as soon as possible.. thanks again femalenetwork! :)
December 17, 2009 at 8:59 amcream_puffs
thanks. kelangan talaga i-keep in mind ang posture. madalas nagsa-slouch ako e.
December 18, 2009 at 8:54 ammargeL
Thanks for the tip! I dont go to the gym and I cant do crunches. This would really help.
December 29, 2009 at 11:54 ammissygirl24
wow..thanks really for additional tips, i never thought about it before :p
January 26, 2010 at 4:58 pm