We indulge in a lot of saturated fats and even our greens are overcooked, thereby losing all the nutrients in them. Chatting with Pilesh, a personal instructor in Castle Gym on Castle Street, along with a few interested women, we asked about how we could work towards a flatter more desirable tummy. "There is hope on the horizon for those of us aspiring for one," reveals Pilesh, " but you have to be devoted to the cause."

Are there any flat tummy exercises, that will help towards achieving female abs, we asked Pilesh. "Abs-olutely," said Pilesh tongue-in-cheek! "I have a routine where the female abs exercises must be safe, effective and can be done nearly anywhere. Your abs must be worked on every day. You won't get rid of your big belly by just sitting in your chair, and sucking in your tummy. Washboard abs are no easy thing to achieve, but the good news is: everybody can get a decent midriff with some effort! "

Of course, as with any fitness and health goal - nutrition combined with exercise are always the main ingredients for success. Here are a series of 'do's' in order to achieve a semblance of "washboard abs": The most important factor is eating a healthy and balanced diet. Here is a list of recommended healthy ways:

*Drink at least three litres of water per day.
*Eat five servings of vegetables and fruits per day
*Eliminate fried foods and cheese
*Eliminate processed sugar which includes fizzy drinks, chocolates and rich desi sweets.
*Eliminate fatty red meat - only lean red meats can be eaten and stick rigorously to small helpings, once or twice a week.

 "Washboard abs, getting toned, and losing weight are all tied into a consistent cardiovascular workout program. Set aside thirty minutes of physical exercise like walking, running, or swimming daily, four times per week. You will see almost immediate results in your energy level and overall mental alertness, when exercising," recommends Pilesh.

"Don't just rush into the regimen, start off slowly if you have not trained regularly in the past several years. A good way to get started is to walk or jog with the following six week program: It can be accomplished in a park or in your local gym.

*Week1 - Walk/jog - 1 mile a day 5 days a week
*Week2 - Walk/jog - 2 miles a day 5 days a week
*Week3 - Non-impact week -Use excer-cycle in gym  or swim for 20-30 minutes a day
*Week4 - Walk/jog - 2 miles a day - 5 days a week
*Week5  - Walk/jog - 3 miles a day - 4-5 days a week
*Week6 - Walk/jog - 4 miles a day - 4-5 days a week

Note - week3 is 'non-impact' due to high number of injuries that occur to legs (knees, shins, feet, hips) during the third week of beginning a walking or jogging program.

Here are some flat tummy exercises which Pilesh worked out with us:

One simple exercise:

The Ten-second Crunch is probably one of the best exercises for firming up the belly. Simply lie on your back and lift your shoulder blades off the floor and hold for ten seconds. Repeat this at least for ten repetitions.

Try repeating the 10 seconds crunch for 10 repetitions morning and night for starters. Also, don't forget to stretch and flex your lower back for a few minutes after each set in order to balance the muscles that support your torso.
The Tummy Isometric Crunch is excellent for women who complain about no time to visit a gym - exhale, then suck in your stomach as far as you can, hold for about 15 seconds, then relax and breathe. Visualise moving your bellybutton straight toward your back. Holding in your tummy muscles and tensing your abs is a good way of firming and strengthening them. Repeat several times. This exercise can be done anywhere, anytime, even at work, it's that simple, yet effective.

For details contact: Castle Gym on Castle Street, phone: 65596663, Pilesh,