5 Types of Crunches to Get a Flat Belly 

Who doesn’t want a flat belly? We’ve all come across people who seem to have a perfectly toned, flat belly without even trying! Sure, the pooch can be hard to flatten, but with hard work and clean eating, you should be seeing results in a few weeks!

Of course, a flat belly isn’t just achieved with exercise. You need to make sure you are putting the right kind of food into your body to nourish it. You can’t cover up bad eating habits with a few exercises and believe that that is enough to get a flat belly.

Before we get into it, let’s talk a little bit about the core. The core consists of all the muscles in the midsection of the body. This includes our rectus abdominis (the top layer), transverse abdominis (the inner muscles), internal and external obliques, and the pelvic floor muscles. To get a flat belly, you would need to pay attention to all of these muscle groups.

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5 exercises for a flat belly

These exercises can be done anywhere. Image via Pexels/Andrea Piacquadio

Here are some of our top picks when it comes to getting the flat belly you have always dreamed of. These exercises may be intense, but they don’t require much in terms of equipment. You can even do these at home!

1) Bicycle crunches

This exercise works not just the abs, but also the obliques, giving your abs the coveted side definitions.

• Start by lying on the floor, face-up. Place both your hands behind your head and raise your legs up and bend them at the knee, maintaining a 90-degree angle. Breath in.

• Ensure your lower back is on the floor at all times. Lift your right shoulder off the ground as you try to bring your right elbow up to meet your left knee. Bring the left knee closer to your face as well. While doing this, extend your right leg straight out, but don’t let it touch the floor. Exhale as your right elbow and left knee meet.

• Slowly, bring your right elbow back down and extend your left leg straight out. Simultaneously, bring up your right knee and lift your left elbow to meet it.

• Alternate sides till you have completed 10 to 12 reps on each side.

2) Leg raises

Leg raises are a great way to tone even the lower belly. The core is constantly engaged during this movement.

• Start by lying face-up on the floor. Tuck your hands just below your lower back or your buttocks. This is to provide stability to the body during the exercise.

• Keeping your lower back flat on the ground, raise your legs up slowly and hold them straight up in front of you at a 90 degree angle from the floor.

• Lower them down slowly till they are an inch or two above the ground.

• Bring them back up to the 90 degree angle while still keeping them straight.

• Repeat this move for 12 to 15 reps.

3) Jack Knives

This exercise requires you to constantly stretch and contract your abs, strengthening your core and making way for a flat belly.

• Start by lying on the floor with your legs out straight in front of you and your arms straight out above your head. Hold your hands and feet an inch or two above the ground.

• Lift your upper body and legs off the ground, making sure your arms and legs are straight.

• Bend your knees and tuck them into your chest as your upper body simultaneously rises to meet them. Circle your arms up over your head and point your arms straight out in front of you.

• Slowly bring your legs back to the ground as your arms also circle back over your head and you return your upper body and legs to the ground.

• Repeat this move for 12 to 15 reps.

4) Deadbugs

This exercise is effective in flattening the belly because both sides are being worked on individually, alternatively. This places tension in the area constantly and strengthens the abdominals.

• Start by lying on the floor on your back. Keep your lower back flat on the ground and raise your legs up slowly, bending them at the knee, keeping your lower legs parallel to the ground.

• Raise your arms straight out in front of you and point your hands to the ceiling with your palms facing each other.

• Drop your right arm above your head towards the floor, keeping it straight as it goes down. Simultaneously, straighten out your left leg and drop it to the floor. ensure your limbs do not touch the floor, but hover an inch or two above it.

• Raise your limbs back up to bring them to starting position.

• Repeat this movement with your left arm and right leg. Keep alternating sides until you have performed 6 to 8 reps on each side.

5) Plank twists

This is a dynamic version of the plank hold, a popular isometric hold. This variation works your obliques and hip flexors as well as helping with a flat tummy.

• Start by getting a plank position, allowing your forearms and toes to support the weight of your body.

• Slowly twist your hips and drop them to the right side, ensuring your forearms are still planted on the floor.

• Twist back to the left side to bring your hips back to the starting position.

• Repeat this move for 10 to 12 reps on each side.

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Getting a flat belly is definitely no piece of cake, and we mean that quite literally. Watch your eating habits and activity levels. Incorporate these exercises three to four times a week after some cardio or your regular workouts, and you should be seeing results in a few weeks!