Are you finding it difficult to flatten your abdomen through diet and exercise alone? For many people, their belly area remains a problem despite doing regular abdominal crunches and sit-ups. There are a variety of reasons why it can be a challenge to flatten the abdominal area. Some people have unrealistic expectations about how flat the tummy region should actually be. Even fit, toned people, particularly women, rarely have completely flat abs. This is because women are genetically predisposed to carry a certain amount of fat in the abdomen as a way to cushion a developing baby. Sometimes a “fat” belly area isn’t due to excess abdominal fat or lack of musculature, but is related to abdominal bloating and distension. Correcting this problem can often make a big difference in how flat the belly area appears. If you’re looking for ways to flatten your belly area that go beyond crunches and sit-ups, here are some suggestions.

Check Your Posture

Poor posture can make even a flat abdomen look fuller and many people have bad posture without even realizing it. Instead of concentrating on doing hundreds of abdominal crunches, add some exercises to improve posture to your routine. Try this simple exercise. Stand against a wall and press your back against it. Tighten your stomach muscles and walk away from the wall. Try to maintain that posture as long as you can. Repeat this throughout the day until better posture becomes second nature to you. You’ll see an immediate difference in the way your belly area looks.

Cut Back on Gas Producing Foods

If you eat a diet rich in beans and vegetables, particularly if you’re a vegetarian, you may experience abdominal distension and bloating from excessive gas production. Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage are notorious gas producers as are most beans, including soybeans found in soy based products. Any diet high in fiber can cause abdominal distension, particularly if you increase fiber intake too quickly. Try cutting back on gas producing foods in your diet and see if it helps flatten your belly area.

Reassess Your Lifestyle Habits

Two factors that can lead to increased abdominal fat are a lack of sleep and excessive stress. Both of these factors cause increased secretion of cortisol which can lead to increased abdominal fat. Too little sleep and stress also increase the tendency to binge and snack which can lead to weight gain. Aim for at least seven hours of sleep each night and find more effective ways to deal with stress such as meditation.

Eliminate Artificial Sweeteners

Artificial sweeteners, particularly the sugar alcohols found in sugarless gum can cause abdominal bloating and distension. Chewing gum also causes air to be swallowed which can lead to abdominal fullness. If you’re constantly chewing sugarless gum, cut back and see if your abdomen appears flatter.

Up the Cardio

Abdominal exercises shouldn’t be the only focus when you’re trying to flatten the belly area. If you’re carrying too much overall body fat, your abdomen won’t appear flat no matter how many crunches you do. Increase your aerobic exercise, or, even better, do intensity or interval training to really boost the rate at which you burn fat.

As you can see getting a flat belly area involves more than just abdominal crunches. Make sure you’re addressing the total problem and you’ll be more likely to get the six pack abs you’re working towards.