Diet for slimming your waist. Diet for a flat stomach and thin waist. Diet for the waist: basic rules for losing weight

A flat stomach is the dream of all women, but few take any action to achieve it. Only a few actually make an effort to look perfect.

The stomach is the place where fat accumulates the most. And even if you follow certain diets that are aimed at losing weight, the extra centimeters, as a rule, disappear first in the hips, arms and legs, and only then on the stomach. This situation can be corrected and it will take not one or two days, but several months. To do this you will need a diet for flat stomach, which implies , with minimum quantity fats and light carbohydrates.

Prohibited!

There are certain foods that we are used to eating every day, without even suspecting that they are main reason deposition of fat deposits in the abdominal area. Such food products include:

  • carbonated drinks, especially alcoholic ones (sparkling wines, beer, cocktails, etc.);
  • confectionery and other types of sweets (sweets, chocolate, cakes, pastries, ice cream, etc.);
  • baked goods, products made from white flour (buns, white bread, various pies and pies);
  • fast food and all deep-fried products;
  • sugar.

All these products contain harmful substances that have the ability to be converted into fat in our body. At the same time, it is light fat. That is, this food is easily broken down and quickly converted into fat cells, which are deposited on the abdomen.

Therefore, it is not advisable to eat them. And if you are a lover of unhealthy foods (and, unfortunately, there are a lot of them today), then you can afford to eat them 2-3 times a month and only in small quantities.

Your main diet should consist of low calorie foods foods that will not put a lot of strain on the digestive organs and will stimulate the intestines, thereby preventing the accumulation of feces in your body, which will also affect the size of your abdomen.

Diet menu for a flat stomach

A diet for a waist and a flat stomach excludes all unhealthy and fatty foods from the diet. Therefore, her approximate daily diet consists of the following menu:

  • breakfast– one serving of any porridge cooked in water without oil, as well as some fruit (orange, apple, grapefruit, etc.);
  • lunch– a cup without sugar, a sandwich of a piece of black bread and low-fat cheese;
  • dinner- plate vegetable soup and a small portion of vegetable salad;
  • afternoon tea– one glass of low-fat kefir and the addition (it can be purchased at any pharmacy) of any fruit;
  • dinner– a portion of fluffy rice and a small piece of steamed fish or chicken.

Here it is sample menu has a diet for a flat stomach and thin waist. It can be slightly modified, replacing some products with others. The only thing you should not do is exceed your daily calorie intake - 2000 kcal. In this case, meals must be provided five times a day. You should not skip any of the meals, because if you do not eat the required amount of food now, you will still eat it later, but in larger quantities. And besides, the body digests and assimilates food better when it enters it in small quantities.

And one more very important point. Train yourself to drink a lot of water. Wherever you are, no matter what you eat, you will need to drink about two liters of water per day, or even more. Moreover, it should only be purified drinking water, and not mineral water or teas.

If you want your stomach to transform in a short period of time (in 1-2 months), then maintaining diets alone will not be enough. You will need to study physical exercise.

Every day you will need to do basic exercises– pump 20-30 times, about 15 minutes, run in place for 10-15 minutes, etc. The more you move, the better the results will be and the sooner you will begin to see them.

If you have the opportunity to visit the gym and work out with a trainer, then this is very good. After all, only an experienced trainer can choose for you special program workouts that will help make your stomach flat and attractive in a short period of time.

Well, if you don’t have such an opportunity, then study at home yourself. The main thing is, don’t do yourself any favors, otherwise you won’t see positive results even after 3-4 months.

Video with exercises for a flat stomach

When trying to get rid of belly fat, you must remember that it is impossible to lose weight locally. Your whole body will lose weight along with your belly. Usually, when losing excess fat, the breasts first decrease in volume, only then the stomach and hips. There are diets that help change this order and are aimed primarily at eliminating fat from the waist. If a person does not know how to remove belly fat at home, a diet will help with this.

Diet rules for weight loss

The diet to remove the belly and sides is designed to reduce the volume of the sides and give the stomach a flat shape. The waist and abdomen are reduced not only due to the reduction of the fat layer. There are additional functions that can be obtained by forming a proper diet. Here are the main ones:

  1. Elimination of excess fluid from body cells. Thanks to this feature of the diet, a person loses up to 3 kg excess weight.
  2. Complete cleansing of the intestines allows you to reduce its volume by getting rid of feces.
  3. Reducing the volume of the stomach. If you eat a moderate amount of food, the stomach muscles gradually contract.

Diet rules for losing belly fat

  1. Artificially creating a lack of carbohydrates for the purpose of calorie deficit and, as a result, further weight loss.
  2. Reducing table salt intake to a minimum level and drinking plenty of water in order to gradually remove excess salt from the body.
  3. Complete colon cleansing.
  4. Reducing the volume of the stomach by reducing the single portion when eating.

To lose weight in the stomach and waist, you need, in addition to proper nutrition, exercise. Exercise will help keep your body muscles toned. If you do not undertake physical activity, the muscles will noticeably sag, this is especially noticeable with a significant loss of body fat. Exercises will help make your abdominal muscles toned and give you a beautiful belly and waist. Every sports activity involves fast diet, however sometimes physical activity can be neglected or reduced to a minimum.

Protein diet

This diet plan is designed to be done over the course of a week. This diet for the stomach and waist will help you achieve quick results. In addition to eating the right foods, you will have to drink large amounts of water and regularly perform exercises aimed at developing your abs.

The goal of the diet is to completely cleanse the intestines and remove all excess fluid. The diet contains only those foods that are very valuable, so even with small portions you can eat until you feel full. This diet for the abdomen is intended for active individuals who exercise daily.

You can eat one of the options that this diet offers. The menu (day and evening) offers the opportunity to choose what you want most at a specific time:

  • Breakfast. You can eat half a small melon along with 100 g of cottage cheese. An alternative is 1 apple of any size along with 3 tablespoons of no added sugar cereal. This breakfast involves a quick diet.
  • Dinner. Half a melon along with 150 g of fish. It can be grilled or baked in the oven, but do not add fat. In this menu you should eat salad from white cabbage with broccoli. If you get tired of this method of eating, you can choose an alternative, which includes 50 g of boiled chicken breast without skin, as well as a couple of slices of bran bread, low calorie vegetables and cheese.
  • Dinner. Meat steak is allowed in an amount of approximately 100-125 g along with 2 tablespoons of peas and a tomato, previously baked in the oven. If you get tired of such a dinner, you can replace it with boiled pork or beef, 75 g each, along with a salad of fresh vegetables. If you follow this menu, you can see that this diet is very effective in helping you lose belly fat.

Salads should be seasoned with lemon juice or apple cider vinegar, as well olive oil. If this diet for the stomach causes a strong feeling of hunger, it can be suppressed by constantly sucking vitamin lozenges. The given diet contains a high protein content, which will help you pump up your abs faster, so you should regularly do exercises for your abdominal muscles. Within a week, the muscles will become noticeably toned, and a beautiful relief will be clearly visible on the stomach. A person will simultaneously acquire both a thin waist and a flat stomach.

French diet

This diet is very much loved by Sophie Marceau, known throughout the world as the owner of a very beautiful and slender figure, the highlight of which is a wasp waist. This diet for the belly must be strictly followed for a week, and the menu features must be followed strictly, only then can you get an excellent result. In addition to following this diet, it is enough to set aside just 10 minutes to perform abdominal exercises. This diet necessarily requires this to get rid of belly fat.

Day 1

Breakfast starts with a small croissant. You can replace it with a bran bun. As a drink, you can use black tea diluted with milk. For lunch, a plate of boiled rice with an apple will be enough. This kit can be washed down green tea. Lightly salted fish is perfect for dinner. You can eat it baked, stewed or salted. For vegetables, one uncooked tomato is sufficient. You can also eat lettuce leaves during dinner.

Day 2

You should start your morning with a glass of fresh lemon juice. You can have a snack with 3 fresh slices of bread. For lunch, you should eat healthy and nutritious food in the form of vegetable soup and 100 g of boiled chicken. In the evening you need to eat three pieces of any fresh vegetables. Before going to bed, you should drink mineral water until your thirst is completely quenched.

Day 3

For breakfast, you should consume two glasses of yogurt and one cup of warm milk. Lunch begins with three potatoes, boiled in their skins, that is, without peeling. It should be remembered that with this method of cooking it is necessary to thoroughly wash the vegetables, and only then put the pan on the fire. Together with potatoes, eat about 100 g of boiled beef. Dinner should be kept to a minimum. It is enough to eat 2 fresh fruits and drink black tea prepared without adding sugar.

Day 4

A small plate is great for breakfast oatmeal. They should first be steamed in boiling water. This dish must be eaten with 50 g of cheese. For lunch, you need to make a salad of 3 medium-sized fresh cucumbers and eat it with one fresh tomato. For dinner, you can eat grated carrots that have not undergone heat treatment, as well as mineral water without adding gas.

Day 5

For breakfast, eat 3 scrambled eggs. You should drink it with black tea without sugar. For lunch, 200 g of broccoli is enough, which should be boiled first. You can wash this dish down with purified water without gas. Dinner can be limited to a glass of your favorite juice with 100 g of boiled chicken breast.

Day 6

Three fresh fruits must be consumed with tea without sugar. This way you can limit your breakfast. For lunch you should eat a vegetable salad. Dinner can be limited to two apples and purified water, to which you should add a few drops of lemon juice.

Day 7

This is the final day of the French diet for the belly. On this day, you can allow yourself variety in your diet, but you should limit portions to small sizes. For the benefits of the diet to be noticeable, you need to drink plenty of fluids and eat any foods that were in your diet from previous days. Usually people are guided by their preferences, but you can be guided by a sense of proportion and choose the lowest-calorie, but healthy foods.

To guarantee weight loss with a diet for the belly and waist, you need to drink 1-2 glasses every day in the morning clean water without gas. In this way, you can quickly start the digestive system and prepare your stomach to accept nutritious food.

Approximately 15 minutes after drinking water, you can take 1 tablespoon of olive oil. It contains fats that are important for the body. plant origin. With their help, you can lubricate the intestines, which facilitates easy bowel movements. If you follow these recommendations together with the chosen diet, a person will get excellent results without extra effort.

After a long winter, most women find that they don't look attractive enough in a swimsuit or tight dress. Ugly folds on the stomach and waist hang treacherously, spoiling even slender bodies. Representatives of the fair half of humanity have a genetic predisposition to the accumulation of additional fat; it is needed for normalization hormonal levels and the proper functioning of the organs of the reproductive system. However, “stocks” very often go beyond the norm, and women begin to purchase complexes along with larger-sized clothes.

In addition to natural predisposition, lifestyle also affects the amount of fat around the waist. Lack of exercise and poor nutrition are excellent tools for obtaining appetizing, but not very attractive forms. For a flat stomach, stress will also be the enemy, since it contributes to the production of cortisol in the body. This insidious hormone makes you want to eat a candy bar, pizza or hamburger, and then “makes sure” that every calorie received from food is carefully stored in problem areas in the form of fat.

Despite all the difficulties, women can be beautiful and slim. If you notice that your abs are gradually starting to become swollen with fat or have already become swollen, it is worth finding out what kind of diet you need to follow to reverse the process. First of all, decide how much time you are willing to spend on the transformation. There are diets designed for several days, and there are also longer-term nutrition systems, which will be useful to adhere to for several months.

When choosing a diet, give preference to longer and more balanced systems, because they give sustainable results. It is impossible to lose excess weight around the waist in 3-5 days. Even if you manage to do this, overweight will return immediately after switching to their usual diet.

Rules for losing weight

To make your figure fit and beautiful, you need to remember a few simple rules. Firstly, for a thin waist it is not enough to eat right; you need to combine diet with fitness. Also be prepared to constantly work on yourself, since the slightest deviation from the set course for acquisition slim body, can have the most unfavorable consequences. Be careful what you take alcoholic drinks- they significantly reduce the chances of getting rid of folds in the abdominal area because they slow down metabolism.

A complete ban is imposed on the following products:

  • salty;
  • fat;
  • fried;
  • semi-finished products;
  • fast food;
  • factory-made sweets;
  • bakery products made from refined flour;
  • sugar and all its substitutes;
  • fatty meats and fish.

Choose foods that have negative calories - they are very useful for burning fat. The value of such food lies in the fact that to digest it, the body spends more energy than it receives with it. This category includes vegetables and fruits, with the exception of bananas, grapes, persimmons and potatoes. In addition, they contain a large amount of fiber, which gently cleanses the intestines of waste and toxins, gives a long-lasting feeling of fullness and supplies the body with useful substances.

Getting the most out of your belly fat should be based on eating enough protein and foods with a minimum glycemic index. Protein allows the body to receive useful energy and prevents the deposition of excess fat deposits. Foods with a low glycemic index do not allow the pancreas to produce large amounts of insulin, which also contributes to the appearance of a “lifeline” in the waist and hips.

The diet does not work locally

Fat burning diets that do not contain seafood meat and vegetable oil do not work because they do not allow vitamins to be absorbed in normal amounts and do not contain polyunsaturated fats. fatty acid Omega-3 and Omega-6, which help get rid of old “reserves” of excess weight.

Those who want to try a diet to reduce belly fat and maintain bust and hip size will be disappointed. Our body is designed in such a way that the process of losing weight does not take place locally, but, on the contrary, begins with less problematic areas. And at the very end it starts in those places that worry us most. However, do not be upset - with uniform and systematic adherence to the rules of proper nutrition and exercise, you can always stay in great shape.

We must not forget that it will not be possible to acquire beautiful abs without dieting, but only through sports activities. If you start training hard, but don’t stop eating buns and hamburgers, your muscles will become stronger, but neither you nor those around you will be able to see them, since they will be safely hidden behind a layer of fat. It is for this reason to build perfect figure you need to reduce the calorie content of meals to 1200-1500 units per day and combine them with cardio training and fitness.

To build beautiful abs, you don’t have to do 3 sets of 150 reps; just three sets of 15-30 reps are enough, depending on your physical fitness. You only need to do exercises 3 times a week, and not every day, since muscles grow during rest.

Approximate diet plan

The diet menu for losing belly fat should include the following products:

  • lean meat;
  • seafood and fish;
  • flaxseed and olive oil;
  • low-fat dairy and fermented milk products;
  • vegetables in any form, except fried;
  • fresh fruits and berries, you can prepare natural juices from them;
  • porridge from unpolished cereals;
  • herbal infusions or teas.

You can try a diet to lose belly fat by combining it with vigorous exercise. For best results, alternate between cardio and strength training every other day, such as running, cycling or jumping rope on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and doing building exercises on other days. muscle mass. Take Sunday off - this will help your body recover.

Eat the following foods every day:

Breakfast

  • porridge cooked in water with the addition of prunes or dried apricots, a cup of tea;
  • grainy cottage cheese with fresh fruit and a glass of low-fat fermented milk product;
  • boiled egg, salad with fresh leafy vegetables and herbs with a dressing of vegetable oil and lemon juice, fresh apple juice.
  • chicken broth, fresh or boiled vegetables, a piece of dried whole grain bread, a cup of rosehip infusion;
  • vegetable soup without adding potatoes, steamed fish fillet, green beans or steamed broccoli, seasoned with olive or linseed oil, a piece of dried rye bread;
  • lean cabbage soup, boiled veal, a side dish of fresh or boiled vegetables, a piece of bran bread.
  • fresh vegetable salad with lemon juice and olive oil dressing, grilled seafood, a glass of dried fruit compote;
  • grilled or boiled shrimp, a side dish of leafy vegetables, a glass of cranberry juice;
  • salad with fresh vegetables with the addition of salted cottage cheese or cheese, boiled chicken breast, A glass of tomato juice.

For second breakfast and afternoon snack, you can choose low-calorie dried fruits, unroasted nuts without salt, low-fat dairy products, freshly squeezed juices and fresh fruits.

What do we get?

A weekly diet will help you get rid of 3-4 kg of excess weight if you combine it with active physical activity. It is very easy to tolerate because it contains varied and healthy foods in your diet. Also, an undeniable advantage of such a nutritional system is its balance - your body will receive a full range of nutrients, which will help you survive weight loss without stress. It is prohibited for breastfeeding women, expectant mothers and people with chronic diseases to follow a diet that helps to lose belly fat.

You can start working on a thin waist and a flat tummy with the help of a special diet and sports activities only after consulting a doctor.

Dreams of a toned tummy and thin waist are destined to come true only if you follow an appropriate diet, which must be combined with regular physical activity.

Both nutritionists and fitness trainers never tire of repeating that losing weight in one "problem area" is impossible, so you shouldn’t waste precious time trying to remove belly fat with another miracle method, while continuing to sit in a chair and eat donuts.

Even if you switch to the right diet, you won’t be able to lose your belly fat in three to four days, as some popular methods promise. Think about how many months it took for the fat to build up around your waist.

But accumulating it is much easier than getting rid of it - you will have to spend more than one week on losing weight.

But if you are determined to get rid of the sides and the unpleasantly protruding belly, it’s time to act: first, select a set of abdominal exercises to tone your muscles (you will immediately notice how your figure has become slimmer), and complement it with a diet for a flat stomach and neat sides.

Is there an effective diet to reduce belly fat?

So, we remember that miracle diets for a flat stomach, designed for 3 days, will be of no use: express diets promote weight loss due to the loss of fluid by the body, the level of which is subsequently very quickly replenished.

Therefore, we set ourselves up to review the fundamental principles of nutrition, but first we abandon the most bad habits- smoking and alcohol consumption (especially high-calorie alcohol - beer, sweet wines, liqueurs). While working on your figure, you will have to forget about drinking, since it interferes with adjusting your body to the appropriate mood.

Now let's talk about products that should prevail in the daily menu. We focus on fiber: it is with its help that you can suppress the feeling of hunger and normalize digestion. High fiber foods are available to everyone: zucchini, apples, brown rice and other types of cereals, cucumbers, greens and seaweed, legumes.

Don't give up fruit, but choose only types with enough fiber and not too sweet: eat pears, oranges and grapefruits (preferably separately from other foods), but do not load up on grapes, bananas and dates. Pamper yourself more often vegetable salads, filling them not with sour cream or mayonnaise, but vegetable oil, wine vinegar, lemon or grapefruit juice, soy sauce.

Any diet for losing belly fat involves split meals, in which food is taken frequently in small portions. Watch not only the quality, but also the quantity of food you put on your plate.

If the feeling of hunger haunts you all day, it is better to eat not three or four times, but five or six, but the portion should be small - for example, a small piece of baked fish and three or four spoons of vegetable salad.

Protein is also important: any reasonable diet for weight loss is based on reducing the amount of fats and carbohydrates consumed (especially simple ones found in baked goods, confectionery and sweet fruits), but you definitely shouldn’t do this with proteins. More often treat yourself to delicious fish (not smoked or fried, but baked or steamed), white meat chicken, seafood, bean and lentil dishes, and low-fat cottage cheese.

To prevent a diet for a flat stomach from becoming too stressful for the body, try to drink more water.

The famous “Sassy water”, a drink developed by the American doctor Cynthia Sass, author of the diet, can be a good help. "Flat tummy". When preparing to go on a flat belly diet, make “Sassi water” at home using simple ingredients - water, cucumber and ginger.

Peel the ginger root, grind it to a paste and pour one tablespoon of the resulting mass into two liters of pure drinking water. Then add 10-12 peppermint leaves and sliced ​​fresh cucumber, previously peeled. You can also add finely chopped orange or lemon.

We place the container with the drink in the refrigerator for 12 hours: during this time, the active components - microelements and vitamins - are mixed with water, which can then be drunk as a tonic drink, replacing tea or coffee, or simply between meals. The drink promotes weight loss and normalization of the gastrointestinal tract.

Example of a flat belly diet for one week

The diet is divided into three meals of unequal satiety; the lightest dinner here, which should take place 3 hours before you go to bed. The most satisfying meal will be the lunch meal, and breakfasts can be considered medium-calorie.

1 day.

  • cottage cheese, 1-2 apples, green tea no sweeteners;
  • cabbage or cucumber salad, boiled egg, boiled chicken breast, unsweetened tea or coffee;
  • kefir (300-500 ml), light vegetable salad.

Day 2.

Day 3.

  • yogurt or cottage cheese, apple (pear), unsweetened green tea;
  • steamed fish or chicken breast, grapefruit, coleslaw;
  • salad with cucumbers, shrimp or squid and olive oil.

Day 4

  • liquid oatmeal, apple, unsweetened tea, some nuts;
  • vegetable salad, boiled rice, baked fish and orange;
  • boiled shrimp or light curd soufflé.

Do you stubbornly suck in your stomach to fit into your favorite jeans? Tight clothes, tight tights and strict diets are not the best best ways become slimmer and make your stomach flatter and your waist narrower. Experts recommend specific nutritional rules and exercises aimed specifically at losing weight in the abdominal area:

1. No fasting

To lose the centimeters accumulated on the waist, nutritionists advise eating protein foods from 3 to 4 o'clock in the afternoon. To satisfy your hunger, eat a protein bar, a piece of low-fat cheese or some almonds with an apple.

This “snack” should not replace the main meal. However, consuming protein at this time improves metabolism. Also, small snacks every three to four hours support normal level blood sugar, which, by the way, determines the accumulation of belly fat. At the same time, eating with a break of five to six hours is very harmful for the figure.

However, for the sake of an ideal belly, you will still have to strictly control your diet. When eating, choose foods that contain whole grains and monounsaturated fats. There is also a diet designed specifically for losing weight in the abdominal area:

Breakfast: a piece of whole grain bread with natural peanut butter and 1 cup of any berries.

Dinner: Spinach salad with avocado, a little cottage cheese and cherry tomatoes. The salad can be dressed with olive oil and lemon juice.

Dinner: grilled fish, roasted sweet potatoes or roasted asparagus with olive oil and garlic.

Snack between meals: a cup of low-fat yogurt or 2 tablespoons of sunflower oil will moderate your appetite and calm your stomach.

2. Ball games

To return the waist to its rightful place, exercises with a ball are very effective. The ball you use can be any size. It is advisable to perform the exercises themselves at least three times a week, 10-12 approaches at a time.

The exercise is performed lying on your back, with your back firmly “pressed” into the floor. Take the ball in your hands and extend them above your head. Carry the ball over you to your feet and squeeze it between your ankles. Lower your feet to the floor, straighten your arms and extend them behind your head. Pass the ball back - raise your legs, grab the ball with your hands and extend your arms above you.

3. Less sugar

Eat as little sugar as possible. It is advisable to reduce its consumption as much as possible if you cannot give it up altogether. This will keep insulin levels low and maintain the required glucagon levels. This hormone increases blood sugar, having the opposite effect of insulin.

In fact, the less sugar you eat, the lower your insulin and higher your glucagon levels. It's simple!

4. Don't forget to chew thoroughly

The better you chew food, the easier and faster it is absorbed in the stomach. Nutritionists recommend chewing until the food turns into a puree in your mouth - this way you will avoid gas formation and bloating.

5. Regularity

To keep not only the abdominal muscles, but also the whole body in good shape, fitness instructors recommend that when playing sports, focus on exercises that strengthen the cardiovascular system and abdominal exercises.

To be guaranteed to lose weight, you will have to adhere to a clear schedule of working on yourself. Set aside about an hour a day for cooking - but cook only healthy and low-fat foods. Do cardio for another 20 minutes a day, three to five times a week. And do strength exercises three times a week for 15 minutes. To finally get yourself in order, spend another 5 minutes a day three times a week on abdominal exercises.

6. Less salt

Despite all your efforts and diets, is your tummy still growing? Most likely, salt is to blame. If you cannot imagine your life without salt, then simply replace table salt with sea salt when cooking - it is more natural and contains less sodium. Also stay away from soy sauce- even a small amount can lead to bloating.

In addition, nutritionists advise replacing salt with pepper and other natural spices, which also give food a new taste, but do not harm your figure.

7. Boxing

Boxing is the most effective type of training that helps overcome common women's figure problems. As a result of regular exercise, abs are quickly formed, excess weight is lost, and fat deposits in the hips and upper legs disappear. As a result, the figure looks slim and elastic, but not “pumped up”.

If you don’t have a lot of spare time and you can’t practice boxing in the gym, then do it without leaving your home! You just need to hit the air, preferably holding dumbbells or just something heavy. Box actively for 8 minutes, first with weights, then without - and you will feel how almost all the muscles of your body are working.

8. Visual deception

If you have a very swollen and noticeable belly, you can visually distract attention from it with the right clothes. Show off your legs with trousers or a skirt. You can also open your shoulders and décolleté. To make your breasts look beautiful, make sure your bra fits you well. It should not “ride” on the back; the cups should be tightly drawn to the body. Try to choose your wardrobe in such a way as to hide the “less than ideal” places, but effectively highlight the winning ones.

10. Laughter

The easiest and most enjoyable way to make your stomach flat and beautiful is to laugh. Every time you laugh, your abdominal muscles contract and your abdominal muscles strengthen.