Tummy toning exercises for women

Not only does regularly exercising your stomach give it a toned appearance, but it can improve your posture, too. Good standing and seated posture can help reduce back pain and the risk of injury. A strong stomach and waist can also help when doing other sports and activities, such as running. When these muscles become tired, our overall technique can suffer, affecting performance and increasing risk of injury.

How to do it

Completing these two or three times a week, combined with full-body workouts and sensible eating, will give you a more toned stomach and waist.

Beginner: 2 x 8 reps

Intermediate: 3 x 10 reps

Advanced: 4 x 10 reps

Kit you'll need

Pillow or cushion

Water bottle

Kayaker

Areas trained: stomach, waist

Technique:

Lie on your back with hips and knees bent, feet on the floor and hands above hips with arms straight.

Crunch up, then twist your torso to the right and make an oval shape with your arms, performing a kayaking rowing action.

Return to the centre and repeat on the left.

 Leg twists
Areas trained: stomach, waist

Technique:

Lie on your back with a cushion between your feet, upper body propped up by elbows.

Lift your legs to around 45 degrees, tightening your stomach. This is the start position.

Keeping the upper body still, rotate your legs to the left, then to the right.

V sit-ups

Areas trained: stomach

Technique:

Lie on your back with legs extended.

Slowly sit up, bringing knees to elbows. This is the starting position.

Slowly lower your upper body and extend your legs, keeping feet and upper body off the floor.

Return to the start and repeat.

Side plank with weight

Areas trained: waist, core

Technique:

Lie on your right side with your body in a straight line supported by your right forearm, holding a bottle in your left hand resting on your thigh.

Lower your hip until it's almost on the floor then return to a straight line.

Side pulses

Areas trained: waist

Technique:

Hold a large water bottle in your left hand.

Lean to your left, sliding the water bottle down your thigh.

Lift your upper body a few inches back towards the centre then lower again, pulsing your body as you repeat.