sit ups and crunches

[alawibaz]

hi

ive started to do regular crunches for my stomach and i have been doing it nearly everyday for 3 weeks now but instead of my stomach going flat as i want it, it has started to bloat and get even bigger then it was

should i stop doing it or carry on and will it go down if i carry it on

please help

i really want a flat stomach and could do with any kind of advice that could help. thanks

[EssJay1]

I think you have to be very careful when doing crunches.  I'm sure someone will give full and frank details, but I vaguely remember from my exercising days that if you didn't hold your stomach muscles correctly, head and neck correctly you are likely to find your stomach will do excactly as you've said.  Have you had advice from an expert?

[paidinfull]

Creating a well-defined abdominal area demands more than just sit-ups. There are three things you need to do.

1. Eat a healthy, well-balanced diet that will cut down your intake of bad fats (as opposed to good fats, such as those found in oily fish and flax seed) and excess calories. There is little point in trying to tone your stomach if you are continuing to eat excess calories that will be stored as fat.

2. Burn fat. You will need to do some cardiovascular work (aeorbic work) for twenty minutes at least three times a week. Run, swim, bike or skip. If you are not hot and sweaty while doing these activities, then you are not doing them hard enough.

3. Work all the core muscles - the abodominlas plus all supporting muscles, including the lower back. The most important core muscle, as all physiotherapists will tell you, is the transverse abdominus (TVA), which works like a corset to support your lower back. By doing just sit ups, you are not actively engaging your TVA. To get the best results you will need to do a variety of core exercises, not just sit-ups.

Transforming your body wihtout professional advice is difficult and can be unsafe. Your best bet is to join a gym and tell the fitness instructors (make sure they are registered with the UK Register of Exercise Professionals - REPs) that you want to improve your overall fitness and core stability. This kind of programme will give you the results you want.

One other thing. If you set health as your goal, rather than an aesthetic outcome, you are more likely to stick to your exercise programme and get better results.

[brionon]

Whatever the Ads tell you You've got abs--they are there ,feel them -they are covered by a layer of fat and, again whatever those idiots on the TV tell you -a layer of fat is not bad as long as you are not obese. In fact people who are slightly overweight are healthier than skinny people who have no reserves to fight diseases.