If you are over 50 or have not exercised in a long time, the hardest part of the body to get into shape is the gut area, otherwise known as the abdominals. When we refer to abs we automatically think of the rock hard “six pack” that we see in men’s underwear ads and in movies like “300” where all of the Spartans look like they have been doing nothing but crunches and sit-ups for several years. This is not realistic if you are into middle age no matter what the television commercials tell you, those ab workouts and crazy machines will not produce a six pack if you now have a tubby tummy. In fact ab workouts when you already have a large stomach region will most likely make your tummy larger or appear larger. This is because by exercising that region you are actually building muscle underneath the fat layer and it will push your midsection out.

This does not mean that you should not perform ab workouts, it just means that you need to know how to do them. You also need to combine your ab workouts with a consistent diet program and an aerobic exercise routine that will help you to lose weight overall. If you do not lose weight by modifying your diet and sweating with aerobic exercise then all of the ab workouts in the world will not reduce your gut.

When you first start out doing ab workouts you need to be careful and not overdo them. Fitness experts suggest that you lie on the floor with your knees bent. Instead of performing the traditional sit-up which can be very damaging to your back and relies mostly on the hip flexors as opposed to the abdominal muscles, experts agree that you should do modified crunches. Put your hands behind your head and slowly raise your head about five inches, hold it there, then slowly go down again. Repeat this exercise for ten repetitions. You will immediately feel a tightness in your abdominal region and you may even cramp up if you have not done any ab exercises in a long time. If you do feel a cramp coming on do not move for a while and just lay on your back. Abdominal cramps can be very painful so you want to avoid these as much as possible.

Another great ab routine is the leg lift from the bench position. Lie down flat on a bench and grab the back of the bench behind you. With the legs together and extended lift them together slowly as high as you can, then slowly bring them back down parallel to the bench or even a bit below if you can. Repeat this workout ten times. Be very careful when doing this exercise that you do not overdo it and hurt your back. If you have a bad back do not attempt this exercise.

When you begin any of these ab workouts you should also try to moderate your intake of saturated fats, oils, sugar, starches and dairy. Stick to a more complete diet of fresh fruit and vegetables, as raw as possible to get the most nutrition. Your ab workouts will get a lot easier over time and you will see much better definition once you start cutting back on the calories.