Best way to flatten stomach/great abs for 50 yr old woman?

Question

I am thin, out of shape and have a floppy stomach from child birth, weight lost, stretched muscle and skin. i don't want a tummy tuck, so what i the best excercise or best way to tighten up and get six pack without causing a hearth attack, high blood pressure or other problems.

Answer 1

I think possibly it would be crunches and leg lifts. Both have you lying down, so you're not really straining/pulling too many muscles. With leg lifts, you lie on the floor with a thin pillow, or your hands right under your butt (protects the tail bone), keep legs straight out. Slowly lift until you feel the tug on your belly. This is really good for thighs, lower back, lower tummy, and it also strengthens your lower spine. With crunches, they're not as strenuous as sit-ups, and personally I find them more effective than sit-ups. Just barely touch the sides of your head, more of a guide line, but this way you're not tempted to actually lift your head with your arms, which causes unnecessary strain on your arms and less crunch in the belly. You first want to start out at just a bit of a crunch, where you feel your core lifting your upper body. You can eventually do variations like going to the left with your right elbow, and vice versa, which works out your sides. I'm @ the point now where I do both simultaneously, and it adds tone without all the strain of aerobics and all the other stuff. To be honest, I am no good @ following work-out videos or any of that. When I first started, I did every 3rd day, because you need to give your muscles a bit of time to heal before working them again. When you work out, you're actually causing muscles to stretch, allowing for new growth. So working out the same area everyday isn't going to get you the results you want. Now I do a different area every other day. Using your own arms without weights to start will get your endurance built up for when you begin to use weights. It seems silly, but stamina has to be built up. Make sure you tell your doc what you plan on, so in case you need to have anything checked before hand, they'll let you know. If you're worried about how your skin looks when you start toning, try using lotions rich in cocoa butter, vitamin e, or both. I buy the lotion (off brand) for stretch marks because it's rich in both. I had stretch marks from gaining weight too fast (Paxil, sucked), and now that I'm off of it I quite gaining the weight and started losing some. The stuff has really worked. The marks were purple, and I mean Dark Purple, now I can barely see them. It helps even where I didn't have any, and where I have scars from poison ivy and what not. Hydrating the skin is a really good way to restore elasticity. Hope I helped a bit, have a lovely day! :-)