The abdominal area is composed of five main muscles. All of these five muscles need to be exercised in order to improve muscle tone in the area. In addition to muscle toning, you also need to burn off excess fat in the adnominal area. Unless the fat is lost, the muscles will not become defined irrespective of how much training they receive. The best way to reduce excess fat and flatten your stomach would be to plan out a workout regimen that includes cardiovascular exercises, strength training and flexibility exercises. Some examples of good cardio exercises include aerobics, jogging, swimming and walking. Strength training can include lifting weights or resistance bands. Stretches can be performed as part of flexibility exercises
Diet plays a very important role in this as well. There are several things that you can do to lose excess weight and tone your body, including your abdominal muscles. Walking or jogging for a period of half an hour thrice a week will help to burn off excess fat and also improve your metabolism. In order to tone and build muscle, intake of protein is essential. A good way to ensure adequate protein intake is to eat 5 to 6 almonds each morning. This is a healthy way to add protein to your body. You also require the inclusion of fiber in your daily diet. Incorporate fiber rich foods such as whole wheat pastas and breads and brown rice in your daily diet. Also increase your intake of fresh vegetables and fruits. Limit your intake of dairy products and replace whole milk with skim milk. Proper intake of water is essential to flush out toxins from the body and also to improve digestion. Drink a minimum of eight glasses of water every day. Structure your diet such that you are consuming more frequent smaller meals during the day, rather than three large meals. This will keep your metabolism up and also keep you from eating too much.