Don't worry about having flat abs

measuring waist

Tools

Story Published: Jul 24, 2008 at 7:47 AM PDT

Story Updated: Nov 20, 2008 at 11:38 PM PDT

By Herb Weisbaum

Audo Icon Listen
Flat abs: some people would give anything for them. And if you believe the ads, just a few minutes of exercise a day will give you the rippled look.

"Exercising your abdominal muscles will make them much stronger, but they're not going to give you flat abs unless you're thin," said Dr. John Swartzberg, head of the editorial board at the UC Berkeley Wellness Letter.

"So you need to lose weight, so there's not a lot of fat over you abdominal muscles and you need to exercise those muscles so that when they are visible, it that's what you want, they will be thicker and stronger.

Dr. Swarztberg's advice: don't worry about having flat abs -- worry about having weak abdominal muscles.

"If you keep them strong, it's going to help you getting up from a chair or getting out of the car. And it's going to help protect your low back. So strong abs are really important, but don't worry about the flat abs."

The Wellness Letter says don't waste your money on exercise machines or electrical muscle stimulators that promise to tone your abs. And steer clear of special diets or dietary supplements that say they can melt away belly fat. It's not going to happen.

For More Information:

The truth about belly fat

Weather & Traffic

Icon
Current Temp 61.0 °F
Mostly Cloudy
More Weather

Weather & Traffic

More Weather

On Demand

Resources and info you need to prepare for the switch to DTV.

Stay Connected

YouNews

This content requires the latest Adobe Flash Player and a browser with JavaScript enabled. Click here for a free download of the latest Adobe Flash Player.

Marketplace