Crunches? No thanks.

Most of us want a strong and nicely shaped core. Many people still think that doing thousands of crunches and sit ups is the fastest way to a six pack. Forget it, spot reducing fat is impossible. Here are a few things you need to do instead:

• Change your eating habits by lowering your caloric intake, adding more fruits, veggies and protein to your diet.
• Try to laugh as often as you can to increase your dopamine production in order to avoid overeating. Researchers in Japan found that laughing can even lower blood glucose levels by altering gene expression. 
• Make sure you get 7-8 hours of sleep per night and go to bed before midnight. While you sleep, growth hormone is released in your body. Sleep deprivation inhibits the release of this fat burning hormone slowing down your metabolism.
• Exercise at least 2-3 times per week. The best way to burn fat is to do high intensity interval training such as tabata workout, sprints or hypertrophy training.

I personally don´t do crunches or sit ups, since these exercises reinforce the development of bad posture and the disruption of the natural spinal curve creating tension and restriction in the hips. Instead I enjoy doing variation of plank keeping the spine in neutral position.

Plank variation with rotation.