The secret to strong abs: Standing up straight

My grandma always told me to stand up straight. Good posture was important to her -- her rounded back made her crazy, and she never wanted me to face the same predicament. She never mentioned that good posture could strengthen my abs. Had she done that, I would have straightened up long ago.

One of the easiest ways to strengthen your abdominal muscles and support your back is through good posture. Think you've already mastered standing up straight? Probably not -- most of us feel like we're lined up properly but really, we aren't. Time for some practice. Try these five RealAge steps for perfect posture -- and a tighter tummy.

• Pull your shoulder blades back slightly toward each other and down away from your ears.
• Lift your chest up and out.
• Pull your head back just enough to keep it in line with your spine.
• Position your pelvis or hips to create or maintain a natural arch in your lower back.
• Pull your belly button in toward your spine without changing or tilting your hips or losing the arch in your lower back.
  
  

As you may have guessed, standing up straight isn't all you need to do for strong abs -- wouldn't it be nice if it were that easy, though? Nope, you've got to work a little harder at fitness than that. But standing up straight sure is a great start.