Perfect Female Stomach: Exercise Motivation and Inspiration

Have you ever been envious of your friend’s toned stomach? I know I have. Having a flat stomach or sexy washboard abs are at the top of the list for many women. But, what if you don’t know how to get a toned stomach? Is it even achievable? Yes and no. Genetics, age, lifestyle, and diet all play a major role in determining if you’ll have a toned stomach. If you don’t, you’re still beautiful and you should rock the body you have!

Best Workouts for Women: Good Routines, Great Results

Women naturally have more fat around their hips, thighs, and belly to protect their reproductive organs and baby during pregnancy. That’s why a lot of women have a softly rounded lower belly and that’s beautiful.

Genetics also play a role in where you carry extra fat. For example, if you are apple shape, then you tend to carry more fat cells in your stomach area making it more difficult to get a toned stomach. Age does a lot of things to your body, including slowing down your metabolism. The older you get, the harder it will be obtain and keep a flat tummy.

Have you ever wondered how to get a flat stomach? While you can’t change genetics or age, but you can change your lifestyle and diet. If you follow a healthy diet and a flat stomach workout routine, you’ll be able to reduce body fat and possibly get a toned stomach.

How to Lose Stomach Fat Fast

If you want to know how to get a toned stomach, look no farther than your fridge. Abs are made in the kitchen. If you are serious about blasting stomach fat and toning your muscles, you need to change your diet. No magic pill or fitness tool will give you a flat stomach overnight. It takes hard work and dedication.

Ditch the junk food. That means alcohol, soda, and foods high in sugar and carbs. Drink water and lots of it. Water is essential to flush water and toxins from your body. Water has a dual purpose in your diet, it keeps you full longer and it accelerates the flushing of fat from your system.

Your stomach won’t get flat until you drop your body fat percentage to about 16-19%. Clean out the fridge and fill it with healthy, belly slimming foods, like fresh fruits and vegetables and lean meats. Focus on eating between 5-6 small meals throughout the day to help resist the urge to binge eat.

Each small meal should contain a lean protein, like chicken, fish, eggs, or a protein shake. Aim to eat at least 1.0 to 1.2 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight every day. Vegetables, especially dark leafy greens, are an important part of your diet as they are low in calories and high in nutrients. Check out paleo diet reviews to incorporate healthy eating for gym rats.

How to Get a Flat Stomach

Diet plays the biggest role in obtaining a flat tummy, but exercise is important too. Now, let’s take a look at what makes up a flat stomach workout. To tone your stomach, you’ll have to do some strength and flat stomach exercises to make those muscles pop, but to reduce body fat, cardio is essential.

Cardio

Cardiovascular exercises, like walking, running, swimming, and cycling, will raise your heart rate into your fat burning zone. If you prefer steady state cardio, you should aim to keep your heart elevated for at least 20 minutes five times a week. If running three miles a day makes you gag, high intensity interval training (HIIT) is also a great way to burn fat quickly, revealing that toned stomach.

Weight Training

Next up for the flat stomach workout, strength training. Lifting weights not only increases your metabolism so you burn more fat all day long, but it also strengthens your bones and ligaments. Compound exercises, like squats and lunges, work your gluteus maximums muscle, which is the largest muscle in your body. Increasing your muscle mass creates more mitochondria in your muscle cells that act as fat burning machines. Plus, toned muscles always look good.

Core Exercises

Now it’s time to hit the flat stomach exercises. When it comes to working your abs, skip the crunches. There are much better and more effective exercises that won’t hurt your neck. Instead, do exercises like:

• Planks

• Bird Dog

• Medicine Ball Russian Twist

• Boat Pose

Yoga and Pilates are also a great alternative form of exercise that works your core hard. Whatever form of exercise you choose, choose something fun and challenging.

Now, are you ready to check out a few of our favorite ladies who hit that flat stomach workout on a regular basis and have nothing but amazing abs and a toned stomach to show for it?

Image Source: Instagram @jadapinkettsmiith

1. Jada Pinkett Smith

Jada Pinkett Smith is rocking some serious abs over 40.

Image Source: Instagram @gisele

2. Gisele Bundchen

This famous mom of two has an incredible body. Don’t let her blessed genetics jade you as she works hard to keep your body in model form year-round.

Image Source: Instagram @realheidipowell

3. Heidi Powell

This former gymnast turned personal trainer knows how to get killer abs and helps thousands of women do the same.

Image Source: Instagram @arianagrande

4. Ariana Grande

Victorious actress, Ariana Grande, loves the elliptical machine and dancing to stay in shape.

Image Source: Instagram @jlo

5. Jennifer Lopez

J. Lo is known mostly for her big booty, but her toned stomach is just as amazing.

Image Source: Instagram @vanessahudgens

6. Vanessa Hudgens

Vanessa Hudgens could give ex-boyfriend, Zac Efron, a run for his money for best abs.

Image Source: Instagram @fabletics

7. Kate Hudson

Fabletics co-founder Kate Hudson loves yoga and Pilates to stay in shape.

Image Source: Instagram @pink

8. Pink

Pink might be pregnant with her second child now, but she has always had great abs. And hair!

Image Source: Instagram @heidiklum

9. Heidi Klum

Supermodel Heidi Klum has her own swimsuit fashion line.

Image Source: Instagram @jessicaalba

10. Jessica Alba

Jessica Alba keeps her stomach toned with kettlebell exercises.

Image Source: Instagram @taylorswift

11. Taylor Swift

Legs for miles and a flat stomach. #Girlcrush

Image Source: Instagram @selenagomez

12. Selena Gomez

To get in shape for her current tour, Selena does cardio, Pilates and yoga. All while eating a healthy diet.

Image Source: Instagram @meagangood

13. Meagan Good

Don’t be afraid to show off your abs at the gym.

Image Source: Instagram @stellamaxwell

14. Stella Maxwell

A flat stomach doesn’t happen overnight. Don’t waste your money on wraps and pills. Instead eat clean and exercise.

Image Source: Instagram @mistyonpointe

15. Misty Copeland

Dance the fat away.

Image Source: Instagram @fleshmanflyer

16. Lauren Fleshman 

Runners often have flat tummies because of the hours they spend pounding the pavement.

Image Source: Instagram @theblondeabroad

17. Kiersten Rich

Travel blogger, The Blonde Abroad, is no stranger to rocking bikinis around the world.

Image Source: Instagram @gwenstefani

18. Gwen Stefani

Gwen is a big fan of lifting weights.

Image Source: Instagram @caliabycarrie

19. Carrie Underwood

Carrie is no stranger to a good sweat session.

Image Source: Instagram @hilaryduff

20. Hiliary Duff

Hiliary Duff is really rocking those fish, don’t ya think?

Image Source: Instagram @kacycatanzaro

21. Kacy Catanzaro

We all want to be this badass ninja warrior.

Image Source: Instagram @jillianmichaels

22. Jillian Michaels

Celebrity trainer Jillian Michaels definitely “walks the walk” when it comes to fitness.

Image Source: Instagram @gwynethpaltrow

23. Gwyneth Paltrow

Gwyneth not only has a healthy eating cookbook out, but she loves a good Tracy Anderson workout.

Image Source: Instagram @mariewoldfitness

24. Marie Wold

Marie is a bikini competitor and fitness trainer with killer abs and sexy thighs.

Image Source: Instagram @jessicagresty

25. Jessica Gresty

Can you say 12-pack?

Image Source: Instagram @misscaramaria

26. Cara Marie

MTV reality television star, Cara Marie, works hard at the gym to win those challenges. She’s even a kickboxing instructor in Montana now.

Image Source: Instagram @johnnie.elyse

27. Johnnie Elyse 

Yoga is a great core strengthening exercise.

Image Source: Instagram @mariahcarey

28. Mariah Carey

This curvy singer isn’t afraid to show off her flat stomach and her results look just like Ashley Graham’s weight loss.

Image Source: Instagram @katiecork

29. Katie Cork

Crossfitters sure have some nice abs.

Image Source: Instagram @beyonce

30. Beyonce

Because Bey is everything.