Suck in that gut soldier!

O.k. there are a couple problem areas for women after having kids. I have to vote for the tummy as the number one.

There are of course crunches, knee raises and all sorts of fancy moves on the bosu ball. But there is something you can do all the time.


Stand up straight, walk tall and suck in your gut.

That's right, correct posture while you walk or sit and the simple act of sucking in your stomach will show results. The key is not to just suck in air and try to touch your belly button to your backbone. You want to concentrate on contracting the stomach muscles and hardening them into the six pack you're dreaming of. Believe me, you have them, they've always been there--never leaving you but truly forsaking you for all others: childbirth, chips, cake, cookies, bread, pasta . . .

Anyway, if you can train those muscles by making them fall in line and whipping them into shape, they will eventually turn from their wicked ways and begin to break through the surface.

Of course, I'm going to recommend you do stomach exercises too, but I wanted to give you something you can do even when you're doing nothing.

Now, for my fab ab workout (courtesy of the United States Military Academy). We will only do crunches, no full sit-ups. Crunches are better for your back and past a certain angle in the sit-up is waisted motion. The goal is to work up to 30 reps of each move continuously (that's 150 crunches before it's all done):

The key is to do a complete set of these without stopping. If you can't at first do as many as you can before stopping. Stomach muscles are stubborn and a long hard workout is better than multiple short sets. You want to feel the stomach muscles burning threatening to rip you in half. It's the only way to cut the stubborn fat suffocating your abs of steel.

1. Start with your legs on the floor and your knees bent. Place your hands behind your head or across your chest (for beginners to lessen the chances of neck injuries). Complete 30 reps pulling your shoulder blades off the floor and driving your lower back into the floor. Remember to breathe out of your mouth on the way up expelling all of your air and breathing in through your nose on the way down.


2. Pull your knees in the air still bent crossing your ankles and complete another 30 reps.


3. Keep your knees in the same position, now touch your opposite elbow to your opposite knee each time you come up for another 30 reps.


4. Uncross your ankles and begin to pull in your knee on one leg to your chest while extending one out straight to simulate the bicycle motion in air. 30 reps.


5. Straighten your legs up to form an L-shape with your body and complete another 30 reps.

Stretch your stomach muscles right after you've completed the set. This is important and helps the muscles to retain what you've just done to them.

After a long rest, turn to lie on your side and complete 30 reps crunching on both your sides (total of 60 in all). This will work the obliques and begin to help sculpt your abdomen area.

It is o.k. to work the stomach muscles everyday, but at least take the weekends off.

Enjoy and remember to let me know how it goes.