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Q

It’s my New Year’s resolution to sort out, once and for all, my muffin top – that bit of flab that sits on top of my jeans. Any ideas?
Davina, Portsmouth

A

Your abdominals benefit from being trained every day. There should be tension in your abs, but don’t panic – you don’t have to do hundreds of sit-ups, it’s all about technique. Master step one and apply it to exercises two and three – 16 reps daily – and you will notice a big difference.

1. For a trimmer waistline, perfect the rib-hip connection. Stand with good posture, placing your hands round your ribcage, fingertips facing your breastbone. Take a deep breath in and feel your ribcage expand. This is how most people start their abdominal exercises – but this encourages a bigger waist. Imagine you are wearing a corset that needs to be tightened. Breathe out, and as the ribcage is lowered, your internal oblique muscles will engage. This is the position in which to begin all abdominal exercises.

2. For lean, flat abdominals, do the lift and lengthen: lie on floor, face up, knees bent, feet flat. Slowly lift up from the breastbone until your shoulders are 3in from the ground. Lengthen through the crown of the head as you lift and lower. Do 16 times.

3. To flatten that lower jelly-belly: lie on your back, knees bent, feet flat on the floor. Engage abs as in exercise one, place a ruler across your lower tummy, balancing it on your bulge. Pull down through your belly to keep the ruler in place as you do a sit-up
to about a 40˚ angle. Repeat 16 times

More about the expert...

Joanna Hall

Joanna Hall is the UK's leading fitness, diet and lifestyle expert.