Does anyone know whether those electric things that are supposed to tone your tummy actually work?

I can't do sit ups or anything like that as my back is so bad, genuinly, I have tried, and the post-natal exercises cripple me.

Unless anyone knows of anyway to tone my tummy without lying on my back?

I am not an exercise girl to be honest, it bores me, but I like doing it to keep fit and feel good - slimming doesn't interest me, just toning.

My tummy is flat, but wobbly and I have this soft little bit of overhang I need to sort out - not for vanity reasons right now (like I'm gonna get out much to look glam ) - but because the muscles are damaged and they can affect my back even more at a later date.

I would use a toning belt, if they work (although I used one a few years ago and absolutely hated it!), as I could wear that around the house.

Any ideas?

I don't know anything about these toning belts I am afraid. Trying to imagine myself in ones just makes me laugh! Like I would be walking around Asda and then short of jumping through minor electrical impulses. I'm sure it's nothing like this though.

When you describe how you look and feel it's as if you are talking about me. I would love to tone up and belong to a gym but I hide from the home phone when they ring and then they call my mobile and I hide from that too.

No motivation for me see, I just want a lovely flat, toned tummy and don't really want to do anything to get it.

Good luck mate, I know it can get you down sometimes, sorry I can't be of anymore help.

If you lived closer we could have gone running or something together

Teri x

I have to use the lecki things cos my muscle,s are shot to pieces as well.. (surgery ect).. they are good and do firm you up.. but do not expect any miricals.. i have an over hang and alothough it is a little firmer i have my doubts as to wheater it will all go away.. also they can be a little uncomfortable at the begining untill you get use to them.

On a funny note.... put them on hubbies chest (tell him they are good for him) then whoop the current right up hubby will contract like you have never seen and wont stop untill you have pick yourself up from the floor and turned them off.. (not that i have done anything so bad) but even now the image still makes me pmsl..

One of the drawbacks of using a toning belt or similar is that it doesn't give you a cardivascular workout so your heart isn't being used as it would if you were 'exercising'.

TaeBo is a good way of losing weight AND toning up your tummy/waist etc, I'm starting my dvd's tomorrow, I've done it before and had good results. It's a mix of Taekwondo and Boxing, gives a fab workout and is worth it just to see Billy Blanks do his stuff lol

Me thinks you have a cruel streak? Gonna get myself one now.

Teri x

hubby has never forgiven me and i wont let him anywhere near me while i,m on it but OMG i have never laughed sooooo much in my life... he was contracting so much i thought he was gonna smake his self in te face... lol

My niece is into Tai Boxing but I have too many wobbly bits I would knock myself out with all the jumping about LOL.

I have heard that ths is a fab way of getting fit and you can look hard too if you want .

Teri x

On a slightly different note and more for back pain, have you tried acupuncture? My OH grans had it and she suffers terribly with her back to the point where she crawls along the floor in agony sometimes.

She swears it has at least halved the amount of agony she is in. Just a thought!

teri x

I have the Slendertone flex ab belt.It is fantastic,it guarantees inch loss and it really does work.It dosn't work on saggy tums below the navel just the muscles around your waist but the results are great.An exercise ball would be great for tummy's as well,including below the navel if done correctly.

It has several different programs and I use it usually every night sometime 2 even more times,using different programs.

It's easy as well because it dosn't plug in which means you can get on with your chores,relax or watch TV while it's working.It firms the muscles up very well but you do have to keep using it.It's no good using it once a week,to see good results you need to use it on a regular basis.

Mine cost I think £70.00.As far as I'm concerned it's money well spent.I would advise that you brought rechargable batteries for it though as it gets through loads.

As mentioned this isn't a way of getting fit.Trampolening,skipping,kick boxing all are good cardiovascular and fun ways of exercising.I have the small trampolene from Argos and makes me feel great,but make sure you land properly or you can really damage your ankles.HTH

Interesting point Babs - it is for below the naval that I am worried about, however, toning up the whole tum would be great, and has got to be better than doing nothing than just chatting about losing weight!

As for video suggestions - my little one would burst blood vessels in her neck if I tried to watch anything other than Cbeebies!!

I have half an hour here and there most of the day, but no way do I get the time it takes to really get into a vid!

And when hubby is on his early shift, we like to sit together and watch a movie - time for me to get my pelvic floor muscles toned

I am pleased to hear the the belt thingy works though!!! And is it painless?

Same here! I have to be careful running down the stairs or I'll end up with black eyes!

No wonder you had an axe !!

Basically... let's be honest... you need your belly overhang to be gotten rid of?
It ain't gonna happen mate... end of!
Mine is 15 years old and it ain't changed lol, sorry to burst your bubble, but once you've got it you ain't gonna change it. You can try to tone and improve it but apart from that it'll be with you forever unless you get plastic surgery to get rid of it!!!

Yes it is painless,it can be started off at a low setting,the more you use it the stronger you can bare the intensity.

I actually enjoy using it,I have 3 kids and its helped my tummy very much,It is hard to get rid of the overhang but not knowing how big yours is it's difficult to say if its possible to get rid of it completely.

I would get one,so easy and they do work.xx