All your personal fitness, exercise and diet questions answered by an experienced fitness instructor. This month, advice on how to tone your stomach and how to achieve that sizzling summer shape.

I want to tone my belly but every time I do sit ups I get neck strain. How do I stop this? Tom.

Mel's Answer: A lot of people suffer with this. It is often a case of not having the neck in what is often referred to as a neutral position. Commonly, people will pull the head so that the chin is on the chest or they will push the chin out as they lift up making the neck muscles work harder than they need to.

A good way to help keep the neck in a more comfortable position is to imagine you are gently holding a tennis ball under your chin. This will keep the neck in a more neutral position and reduce the amount of strain on the neck muscles. If you still have discomfort you can place one hand gently at the base of the head to offer some support however, be careful not to pull on the head. It is always advisable to consult your GP if the discomfort continues to make sure there isn’t anything more serious to be addressed.

Question

I want to wear a bikini on holiday this summer without the extra ‘muffin top.’ I’ve noticed that some thin people suffer from love handles - what exercises do you recommend to help me lose weight in this part of my body? Sarah.

Mel's Answer: I’m afraid there is no easy answer to this one. Spot reducing exercises are not effective. In other words just doing exercises for this problem area won’t address the excess body fat that is there. You need to get on with some good old fashioned cardiovascular work and burn some calories.

To help improve muscle tone in the problem area you can do some abdominal exercises for the waist.

Lay on your back with your knees bent to 90 degrees. Your feet should be flat on the floor. Ensure your lower back is in a comfortable position. And pull your abdominal muscles in before you begin the movement. Avoid pushing your lower back into the floor causing it to flatten.

Begin by crossing your hands over the chest and then lift your shoulders and upper back from the floor in a diagonal motion so that you aim your shoulder towards the opposite knee. Breath out as you lift and in as you lower down.

There are hundreds of exercises for this area and it is worth doing some research to find some options for variety and to provide you with some progressions.

Mel Andrews, pictured. When taking up any new activities or exercise always consult with your GP first and ensure that you get advice from an appropriately qualified instructor. For more information on fitness courses & more contact Lifetime Training on 0870 702 7273 or visit www.lifetimehf.co.uk

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