[pucedaisy]

i think belly dancing can be a great way to have fun, get fit AND embrace your natural womanly shape! jahjah, would you agree? not that i'm doing it myself, but i'm thinking that would be good exercise for me. anyone else out there belly dance? any advice?

[chickhen]

I started taking belly danicing at my local gym and loved it! It is harder and a better work out than I thought. I plan to go every Monday in the new year.

[hotmamacitax2]

Well, your boyfriend is right that if you do certain kinds of ab exercises then you could build your ab muscles out.

Are you really ready to work? Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred is incredible!! There are SO many moves where you're in the push up or plank position and it forces you to use your ab muscles (it's a MILLION times more effective for me to do this than crunches). Also, she does 2 minute bouts of INTENSE cardio. It's a super effective workout, but is 25 minutes, start to finish. I LOVE running, but don't have time for it (and hubby deleted all my songs off my ipod by mistake).

I guarantee if you do the 30 Day Shred workout and add more lean protein to your diet along with substituting low GI carbs in place of higer, you WILL see a big difference!! There are plenty of people out there with great abs who EAT BREAD!!! Don't feel like you have to kiss carbs goodbye!!

[SkinnyLibby]

Some ab exercises (mostly upper abs exercises) DO push you stomach further out but NONE make you have belly rolls! And whats more, core exercises (think pilates!) which strengthen both your tummy and back significantly improve you posture as well as holding everything in a lot firmer and tighter, so though people are correct that the only way to have visibly great 'abs' is to lose fat around your belly first, having strong 'hidden' abs will make your tummy way way flatter, and make you stand taller.