A flat stomach isn’t just about crunches; strong legs and hips improve posture and core appearance.
A stronger, more defined midsection isn’t necessarily achieved by doing hundreds of crunches. According to celebrity nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar, the strength of your legs and the flexibility of your back can also play an important role in how your stomach looks and feels.
In a recent Instagram video, Diwekar addressed the common tendency to focus exclusively on abdominal exercises when trying to achieve a flatter stomach. She explained that when the legs lack strength and the back is stiff, the abdomen can appear to protrude despite regular ab workouts.
Rujuta Diwekar Says Strong Legs and a Flexible Back Matter
Diwekar’s approach moves away from treating the stomach as an isolated part of the body. Instead, she highlighted the connection between the legs, hips, back and core.
According to the nutritionist, repeatedly performing crunches may not address the underlying weakness or stiffness that can affect posture and the way the stomach sits.
Her recommendation is therefore less about chasing a quick physical transformation and more about building overall strength and mobility.
Rujuta Diwekar’s 3 Rules for Sustainable Weight Loss
Diwekar has also consistently spoken against extreme diets and rapid weight-loss methods. In an earlier Instagram post, she outlined three principles she believes can make weight loss more sustainable.
1. Don’t Rush Your Weight-Loss Journey
Her first rule is to avoid treating weight loss as a race. Whether the goal is losing a few kilos or significantly more, she recommends taking a gradual and sustainable approach.
Diwekar has suggested aiming to lose around 5–10% of body weight over the course of a year, rather than relying on aggressive short-term diets.
2. Build Your Diet Around Familiar Foods
Rather than prescribing one universal diet, Diwekar encourages people to continue eating the traditional foods that already form part of their everyday meals.
That could mean dal and rice, idli and dosa, chicken with rice or fish, depending on a person’s culture and regular eating habits.
Her larger point is that a healthy diet doesn’t need to look identical for everyone. Food choices should be practical, familiar and sustainable enough to continue over the long term.
3. Skip the ‘Magic Ingredient’
Diwekar has also cautioned against the growing obsession with viral wellness products and miracle solutions for weight loss.
Instead of looking for one supplement, ingredient or trendy food that promises dramatic results, her approach focuses on the overall quality and consistency of a person’s lifestyle.
The Simple Exercise Rujuta Diwekar Recommends
After explaining the relationship between leg strength, back stiffness and the appearance of the stomach, Diwekar demonstrated a simple movement in her video.
She lay on her stomach with her feet supported on a bolster, while positioning her hands beside her chest. She then engaged her hips, pressing them towards the floor while simultaneously driving the quadriceps upwards.
She recommended holding the position for approximately 10 seconds.
The movement, according to Diwekar, is intended to activate the hips and legs while helping address stiffness through the back.
Why Hip and Leg Strength Could Matter
Diwekar explained that weak hips can affect the body’s posture and potentially cause the stomach to push forward. Strengthening the muscles around the hips and legs, therefore, can contribute to better overall alignment rather than simply targeting the abdominal muscles.
She also associated the exercise with other potential benefits, including better digestion, reduced leg discomfort and improved sleep.
The larger takeaway from her advice is simple: if you’re working towards a stronger core, don’t think about your stomach in isolation.
Instead of endlessly counting crunches, building strength in the legs and hips while improving back mobility may be a more holistic way to approach core strength and overall physical wellbeing.