How to Tone Your Abs with Flutter Kicks

Maybe you're getting a little soft around the midsection, but you hate the thought of doing crunches. The good news is, you don't have to do crunches to get the abs you've always wanted. You can tone your abs with flutter kicks — a simple exercise that can be done at home without purchasing any equipment. To lose weight around your midsection, however, it's equally important to work in some cardio, such as jogging or cycling, and eat a healthy diet.^[1]

EditSteps

EditBuilding Your Exercise Regimen

1. Make sure you warm up first. For an ab workout, incorporate dynamic stretching into your warm-up that will target your abdominal muscles and get them ready for more intense work.^[2]
   
   • Start your warm-up by walking or jogging in place for a few minutes to elevate your heart rate a little and increase your core temperature.
   • Then you might try the "good morning" stretch, which is a good way to start engaging your core. Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart and your hands at your waist. Hinge forward from your hips with a flat back. You can keep your weight on your heels, or roll forward onto your toes to engage your abs more. Then rise up to stand and repeat. Do this for about 30 seconds, aiming to do 10 – 15 forward bends in that time.
   • Planks also are a good warm-up for an ab workout. If you have difficulty with a full plank, you can do a half-plank by coming onto your elbows and knees. Just make sure your back is flat and you're engaging your core.
2. Start with flutter kicks. After your warm up, start your exercise routine off with basic flutter kicks. Start the exercise by lying on your back on the floor with your legs straight.^[3]
   
   • Lower your arms to your sides and place your hands, palm-down, under your rear end for cushioning and greater stability.
   • Lift your legs so they're hovering just a few inches off the ground, and lift your shoulders and upper torso off the ground to engage your upper abdominals. Make sure you're not crunching your neck — keep it long and soft, an extension of your spine. Try fixing your eyes on the spot where the wall and ceiling meet; this can help you position your head correctly.
   • Kick your legs up and down, keeping them straight and the movement even. As you kick, slowly move your legs up higher off the ground. If it helps, you can imagine that you're walking up a wall or an incline.
   • When your legs are straight up so that your body is in an "L" shape with your legs perpendicular to the floor, reverse the movement to kick back down. Resist the urge to simply drop your legs down.
   • Stop when your legs are a few inches off the floor, roughly where you started, and begin the upward movement again. Do 22 repetitions in a set. You can start with one set, and add more sets as your fitness improves.
3. Add the Superman exercise. The Superman exercise is a great complement to flutter kicks. It targets your spinal erectors as well as working your hamstrings and glutes.^[4]
   
   • To start this exercise, roll over on the floor so that you're laying flat on your stomach. Extend your legs straight behind you and your arms straight over your head. Basically, you look like Superman flying in the air, except that you're on the floor.
   • Raise your left leg and right arm off the ground, anywhere from 6 to 15 inches – just as far as you can comfortably and with controlled movement. As you lower, begin to raise your right leg and left arm to make the same movement.
   • Alternate sides for 10 to 15 repetitions as one set. then lower to the floor and rest for a minute before doing another set. You can do as many as three sets of this exercise.
4. Move on to bicycles. Bicycles (or oblique crunches) are a good way to modify basic flutter kicks for even greater results toning and firming your abs. This exercise targets all four abdominal muscle groups, but really focuses on your obliques.^[5]
   
   • You'll start this exercise lying on your back, either on the floor or on an exercise mat if the floor is too hard for comfort. Place your hands behind your head with elbows out, and raise your straight legs about one inch off the floor.
   • Raise one knee to the opposite elbow, trying to touch your elbow and knee together. Then immediately lower and repeat with the other side. Do as many repetitions of this exercise that you can do while maintaining proper form and control.
   • As you do this exercise, make sure you're not crunching your neck. The work should be coming from your core, not from your neck and shoulders. You also want to make sure you aren't holding your breath. Your breathing should be deep and even.
5. Stretch to cool down. The cool-down portion of your exercise routine gives your heart rate and core body temperature a chance to return to normal. Stretches are a good way to cool down as well as loosen up the muscles you just worked.^[6]
   
   • Many good static stretches for your core come from yoga. For example, you can do the cat-cow flow for a good stretch of your core and back. Get on all fours on a mat. On an inhale, raise your tailbone and head to the ceiling, arching your back. Then as you exhale, drop your head and round your back, drawing your tailbone down toward the floor and pressing your navel toward your spine. Repeat for about 30 seconds, following your breath.
   • Try an oblique stretch. Stand and raise your right arm, leaning your torso to the left until you feel the stretch along your side in your obliques. Try to square up your hips and keep them pointed straight ahead. Then slowly rise back to center and do the other side. Repeat once more on each side if you want.

EditAdding in Cardio

1. Go for a walk or a jog. Walking or jogging is the easiest way to add a little cardio to your overall workout regimen, mainly because you can do them anywhere. You don't necessarily have to join a gym or use a treadmill.^[7]
   
   • If you're new to exercise, start slow, with only a 5 – 10 minute walk a day. Gradually increase the time you're walking each week until you're going on 30-minute walks.
   • Check your posture when you're walking. Keep a neutral back and engage your abs to straighten and lengthen your spine.
2. Take your flutter kick to the pool. The flutter kick exercise is based on the flutter kick that you do while swimming. If you have access to a pool, swimming is a low-impact cardiovascular workout that will incorporate the flutter kicks you're already using to tone your abs.^[8]
   
   • If you don't want to swim laps, you can hang on to the side of the pool and kick, or use a kickboard or a swim noodle to keep your head and upper body out of the water as you kick.
3. Do cardio that targets your abs. If you want to continue your ab workout even on days you're doing cardio, engage your core with cardio intervals of exercises such as mountain climbers and burpees.^[9]
   
   • For mountain climbers, get in the plank position, then lift your left foot and drive your left knee forward toward the center of your body, between your arms, Then kick it back and immediately do the same with your right knee. Alternate quickly and smoothly, trying to stay in constant motion for 30 seconds. Then rest.
   • To do burpees, start from a standing position with your feet about hip-width apart. Swing your arms up and jump, bending your knees as you land and lowering softly, dropping your hands to the ground in front of you. Then jump your feet all the way back to a plank position, immediately lowering to a push-up. Jump your feet forward and stand. Do as many of these as you can do in 30 seconds with good form, staying in constant motion.
4. Accurately measure intensity. You'll get the maximum fat-burning benefits from your cardio exercise only if you're doing it at moderate to vigorous intensity. You can measure intensity either by paying attention to your body or by measuring your heart rate.^[10]
   
   • The "talk test" is one of the easiest ways to gauge the intensity of your exercise, and works especially well if you're jogging or walking for cardio. With moderate exercise, you'll notice that your breathing quickens, but you won't be out of breath. You're able to carry on a conversation, but you're not able to sing. With vigorous exercise, you wouldn't be able to say more than a few words without losing your breath.
   • You also can look at how much you sweat. With moderate exercise, you should develop a light sweat. With vigorous exercise, on the other hand, you're sweating more heavily after only a few minutes.

EditIntegrating a Healthy Diet

1. Drink plenty of water. You may be carrying a lot of water weight around your midsection, and this could be keeping you from meeting your goal of toned abs. When you don't drink enough water, your body retains more of it.^[11]
   
   • Make sure you're taking a multivitamin, and try to drink between 2 and 3/5 liters of water a day. It sounds like a lot, but you can do it if you get in the habit of carrying a water bottle with you wherever you go.
   • The urine test is the most efficient way to tell if you're drinking enough water. When you're well-hydrated, your urine will be clear.
   • You also want to monitor your sodium intake. Sodium can cause you to retain water, so try to limit your sodium intake to between 2,000 – 2,500 milligrams per day.
2. Determine the right calorie intake. If you're exercising three to five days a week, you'll start losing weight if you set your caloric intake to 13 calories per pound of body weight (or less). Be careful not to bring it down too low — your body needs fuel.^[12]
   
   • For example, if you weigh 180 pounds, the food you eat each day should contain about 2,340 calories. You could probably go as low as 1,620 calories, or nine calories per pound of body weight, but you don't want to get much lower than that.
   • You may want to consume more calories on days you plan to do an intense workout, then lower the amount on rest days or days you're doing a lighter workout. This will ensure that your body is getting the fuel it needs.
3. Focus on protein. If you're on a low-calorie diet, protein is all important to build the lean muscle mass you need if you want tight, toned abdominal muscles. Protein shakes are one way to make sure you're getting the protein you need.^[13]
   
   • You'll find whey protein at health food and nutrition stores, as well as at many grocery stores. Use the powder in a fruit or vegetable smoothie or shake. You can find good protein shake recipes online.
   • You also might look at protein snack bars or commercial protein shakes. Read the label carefully and avoid those with added sugar, or that are high in calories.
   • Try to include a substantial source of protein, such as lean meats, eggs, or soy, with every meal.
4. Check your carbohydrate intake. When you consume fewer carbohydrates, such as pasta and bread, your body burns more fat and also retains less water. A diet that's lower in carbohydrates will help you get toned abs faster.^[14]
   
   • You don't necessarily have to cut out carbs entirely. Keep in mind that your body needs carbohydrates for fuel. A carbohydrate snack 30 or 40 minutes before an intense workout will give your body the energy it needs.
   • You also should keep in mind that if you go too long on a low-carb diet, your metabolic rate may slow, causing your energy to plummet.
   • Oats and quinoa are healthy choices that are high-carb and low-fat, so they'll keep you on track to meet your ab goals. Fruits such as apples and bananas also are good sources of carbohydrates.^[15]
5. Limit your fat intake. If your goal is to tone your abs, your overall diet should be extremely low in fat. Look for sources of healthy fat, such as almonds, olive oil, and fatty fish. Only include a few grams of fat with every meal.^[16]
   
   • Once you've met your goal or are feeling better about your midsection and have lost the weight you want to lose, you'll want to increase your fat intake.
   • Avoid fat entirely immediately before or immediately after your workout.

EditWarnings

• As with any exercise program, talk to your doctor before you start an exercise regimen involving flutter kicks. Even though the exercise is fairly simple, you need to make sure you're physically ready – especially if you have a chronic health condition or are recovering from a recent injury.

EditSources and Citations

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