How to Get a Toned Body & a Flat Stomach

Many diets and fitness regimens claim amazing results fast, but the best way to obtain a toned body and flat stomach is to use not one extreme technique but a variety of factors that compose a healthy lifestyle. Eating right and exercising regularly to keep your body healthy are important. There are many different ways to change your diet and stay in shape, so you can experiment and choose the diet and fitness routine that work best for you.

Instructions

• 1

  Find a regulated diet that works for you. This does not mean you need to be hungry all the time because you're not eating enough or eat the same thing three times a day. Pay attention to the times your body is hungry and stop eating when you are full, and work on moving away from sugary substances and processed foods to a more balanced diet featuring fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

• 2

  Work out your core muscles. These are your abdominal muscles in the midsection of your body. Developing core strength will help you in a variety of other sports. You can try a variety of core exercises to mix up your routine and choose the exercises you like best. Crunches and leg lifts are both beneficial for core strength.

• 3

  Do some basic cardiovascular exercise to burn off excess fat, which will help you achieve a toned body. Walking, running, biking, swimming and spinning are all forms of cardiovascular exercise. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends two and a half hours per week of aerobic activity; you can break this down into 30 minutes a day five days a week.

• 4

  Join an exercise class to connect with other people who have similar goals and motivate yourself to keep your body in shape. You can take a spinning class, a dance class or a more unique fitness class like zumba to increase cardiovascular endurance. Yoga involves lots of stretching and breathing into postures and can help you relax as well as maintain a toned body.

• 5

  Use a workout DVD if you cannot afford to join a class or are self-conscious about being in a class with other people. Fitness DVDs based on yoga, Pilates, dance and other forms of physical activity are available in bookstores, health stores and even big-box stores like Target.