10 Get Fit Tricks

Trying to tone your tummy for swimsuit season? We can help! The secret to a fat-blasting workout is doing the moves correctly. To learn how to get the most from the time you spend exercising, we asked fitness guru Kathy Smith for her savviest secrets on taming that tummy bulge as well as getting a better overall workout. Incorporate these tips into your get-fit routine and you’ll be saying sayonara to belly fat, jiggly arms and thick thighs in no time.

1. Wake up your waist-whittling workout by introducing a stability ball. To find the correct position for doing crunches on a stability ball, sit on the ball and roll down until your hips and lower back are resting on the ball. As your abs get stronger, position your hips higher on the ball and farther from the floor. For more of a challenge, move your feet closer together, eventually working up to having your knees touching.

2. Make a “house for a mouse.” Here’s how it works: Lie facedown with your pubic bone and ribs “glued” to the floor. Now contract your abs so that you pull your belly button up and away from the floor. The tiny space you’ve created near your navel is the mouse’s house. Continue breathing while you hold this position for 10 seconds. Work up to holding it for a full 30 seconds, and do this move three or four times each week. Even though the movement is small, you’re working the transverse abdominus -- the lower muscles of the belly that, when toned, will give you a sexy, flat stomach. Incorporate the house for a mouse into your other exercises as well. Whether you’re standing up or lying down, concentrate on pulling your abdominals up and in. The payoff: You’ll be building your core strength while also working other areas of the body.

3. Bothered by back pain when doing crunches on the stability ball? A simple change in position can make lower-back discomfort a distant memory. Concentrate on squeezing your buttocks and pulling your hips toward the ceiling. This movement flattens out the lower back and prevents too much of a curve. Also try this technique if lower-back pain pops up when you’re doing yoga or Pilates moves that require you to lie facedown on the floor.