Fab Abs

We all want a flatter belly. In a recent eDiets.com survey, 85 percent of women and men said getting a trimmer middle is one of the top reasons they exercise. The disappointing news is that nearly half said they have "a long way to go" before they reach slim-waist status.

Of course, we only really focus on those unsightly belly rolls when it's a few weeks until the class reunion, a few days before the beach vacation, or a few moments before slipping into the hot tub with mixed company. Don't push the panic button: The experts on these pages—trainers, nutritionists, doctors, even celebrity fashion stylists—know how to get results in next to no time at all. So whatever your ab status, you won't have to test your patience to see the payoff.

Twenty-one days is plenty of time for belly shaping, as long as you're focused. "The only way to get rid of belly fat is an integrated approach. You must include three essential elements—mind, mouth and muscle—in order to lose and sustain it," says Pamela Peeke, M.D., of the University of Maryland School of Medicine. Here's the plan for a tighter tummy.

Roll-Up

 

A. Lie on back with arms and legs extended, feet flexed. Inhale.

 

B. Exhale as you reach arms up and forward and roll head toward chest, lifting head and shoulders off floor. (Keep arms next to ears throughout this move.) Press inner thighs together and begin to pull navel in toward spine. Slowly peel off floor until you're sitting in a C shape—back rounded, head toward knees, and arms extended in front of you. (Be sure to keep chin tucked throughout the move.) Gradually reverse the movement, inhaling and squeezing abs as you roll back down to floor. Repeat the sequence six to 10 times.

Learn more about Fab Abs:
You've Got 3 Weeks
3 Days
3 Hours
3 Minutes
3 Seconds

Denise Brodey is a health and fitness writer who lives in New York.