Healthy Living
A FLATTER
Stomach
by Cathy Wendland-Colby, DC It’s time to put away those bulky sweaters, get rid of those loose t-shirts and head to the lake, the pool or the park in your bathing suits and tank tops. Perhaps you’ve noticed that the biggest trend this summer is the belly baring shirt. No doubt you’ve seen the celebrities showing off their flat stomachs. Well you can have a flat stomach, too.
Dr. Wendland-Colby is a chiropractor in private practice with her husband at Colby Family Chiropractic on Highway 92 in Woodstock, specializing in sports and family care. She can be reached at 770-592-1915 or www. ColbyChiropractic.com.
Here are my top four tips to help you achieve a flatter stomach this summer.
1. Nutrition — What you eat has a lot to do with how your stomach looks. Eat a lot of fatty foods and you’re sure to gain weight. Don’t eat enough fiber, and you’ll prevent your body from getting rid of the food you’ve already eaten – giving you that noticeable pooch to your lower abdominal area. Increase your daily fiber intake by adding a high fiber cereal to assist your digestion and help minimize that lower belly pooch. Increase the amount of water you drink to help speed up your metabolism, rid your body of toxins and keep your skin looking fresh, tight and smooth. 2. Cardio — Remember, you cannot “spot reduce” meaning you cannot say to your body, “I want to lose some fat right here,” and have it miraculously happen. When we lose weight, we lose it all over our bodies. When you do a significant amount of cardiovascular exercise and raise your heart rate and your metabolism, you will begin to burn calories from the fat stored all over your body. The result is a thinner, healthier body. 3. Abdominal Exercises — There are many exercises that target your abdominals; there are many more that simply use your abdominals to assist other muscle groups. Both types of exercise are effective, both types should be incorporated into any workout plan. The exercises that use your abdominals to assist other muscle groups include any exercise where you are moving your arms or legs and your torso is working to stabilize you. Running, walking and swimming are the most common; be sure to engage your abdominals by pulling your belly button in while you feel your torso gently rotate from side to side. Kickboxing continued on page 62 46 AroundAbout Woodstock | may 2011