Our answer: Not so much!
You can do crunches ‘til you’re blue in the face, but there’s actually no such thing as “spot reducing.” You cannot get rid of fat in one area alone.
The only way to shrink that waistline is with consistent cardiovascular exercise and strength training. Combined with the right foods, this is the way to develop lean tissue and burn body fat. Regular exercise and a balance of lean proteins, carbs (plenty of veggies) and healthy fats will also kick-start your metabolism, helping your body process food instead of storing it.
And all those crunches? They can end up doing more harm than good. Too much movement in any range of motion is not good for the joints, and too many crunches can make the lower spine hyper-mobile, causing back pain and other more serious problems. Eat right, add cardiovascular activity to your exercise program, and mix up your ab routine.
