Question of the Day

I'm a 47 year old mother of 3 children. I'm not looking for "6-pack abs". I also understand that spot-reduction of fat is not possible through exercise. But 3 pregnancies and 3 c-sections have taken their toll on my abdominals. My stomach muscles are very weak, and my waist has all but disappeared. I'm not overweight, but my mid-section looks terrible! Will crunches and oblique exercises tighten my abdominal muscles enough to make a visible improvement in my profile? Will it trim my waist if the muscles are more toned - kind of like sucking in my stomach really hard?
This is a very good, and well-informed, question.

It's not "can I spot reduce" but instead, "What can I do to shape and tone the area."

Fortunately, the answer here is, yes, you can make an impact through exercise and targeting the area! It may sound like I'm going against my own advice about spot reduction, but let me explain.

Pregnancy and delivery, especially via C-Section, can weaken and possibly even damage the abdominal muscles. Like any other part of the body, muscles can become soft. When a muscle becomes hardened and well-defined, we refer to it as "toned." Tone is actually a term to describe how a muscle reacts from training: it typically is contracting slightly, even at rest, so it goes from being a flaccid, passive muscle to hardened, firm muscle prepared to perform work.

The abdominal wall is much the same way. The abdominal muscle that people target with crunches and leg raises and sit-ups actually is NOT the muscle to target when you are trying to flatten and firm your stomach. Yes, it is true that some abdominal work can strengthen the area and I believe it is highly important for general health and posture (see Abdominal (Core) Training). However, the abdominal muscle itself is actually slightly curved when at rest ... it only straightens when flexed.

Of course, none of us has the endurance (or patience) to constantly flex our abdominal wall (even though many of us try). The solution is to target another muscle that's not readily visible but plays a role in helping keep the abdominal wall flattened even when you are relaxing it. This muscle is the transversus, and the key exercise is the Stomach Vacuum. The article referenced describes exactly what and how this muscle can help you achieve that flat stomach you are looking for (and will also help strengthen those muscles that were weakened from the surgery).

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