5 tips to a flat tummy like Deepika's

Struggling to keep your wayward waist in check? Follow these five tips to get a flat tummy like Deepika Padukone

A recent study found the average woman's waist has increased by seven inches since the 1950s — from a toned 27 to a solid 34.

And according to the National Health Survey, UK, a waist over 34.5 inches puts you at greater risk of heart disease, high blood pressure and type-2 diabetes.

But it's not too late to lose the extra padding — try these waist-whittling tips to feel healthy.

Curl it

Canada's University of Waterloo found old-style crunches can damage the spine. The more effective version is the curl-up.

Lie on your back with your hands palm-down, tucked under the small of your back. Bend your knees and slightly lift your head and shoulders.

You don't need to crunch up much to get the desired response from your entire abdominal muscle complex. If that's still too much, buy a hula hoop. Just 15 minutes' hooping a day will result in a waspish waist.

De-fizz it

If you're a fan of fizzy diet drinks, you could unwittingly be widening your waistline. All fizzy drinks have gas in them, which causes gas in your intestinal system. One should also steer clear of sorbitol, an artificial drinks sweetener which the body can't break down properly. Instead, swap your diet drinks for water. Equally, if you enjoy an alcoholic treat, avoid beer, prosecco and fizzy mixers — a glass of red wine or plain vodka is less likely to cause bloating.

Finally, drink peppermint tea. Some studies suggest it can ease the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome and reduce bloating.

Calm it

Tried everything but your waist won't shrink? Bloating with no obvious cause is known as 'dysbiosis' and refers to an imbalance of bacteria in your stomach, usually caused by excess yeast, Candida. Too much boozing, being on the Pill or HRT, or even taking antibiotics regularly can trigger the problem.

Think of yeast 'rising' in your gut

Avoid high sugar foods and go easy on beans, potatoes, sprouts, lentils, broccoli, bananas and raisins, which can all make bloating worse. Stick to berries, plums and other lowsugar fruits. Eat more eggs and pumpkin seeds to support your stress levels as they have calming properties and take a daily probiotic.

Squeeze it

If it's good enough for Jessica Alba, it's got to be worth a try. Reportedly, the Hollywood actress wore an elastic corset for two months to help shed her baby weight — the idea being that you're more likely to notice overeating than if you're wearing comfy trackies. Rather than Cousin Violet-style whalebone, you're better off slipping into a Waist Cincher. This smoothing 'control lingerie' has flexible bones, double-layer panels and flat hook-and-eye fastenings, and it really does hold in excess flab, whilst ensuring you can still breathe.

Tone it

Every celeb swears by Pilates and it is a brilliant way to flatten your waist. Most classes begin with 'the hundred' — so called because you hold the position for 100 beats.

It works muscles to create a strong and stable core, and tone your waistline. Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat to the floor. Then lift your feet off the ground and bend your knees to a 90-degree angle. Your shins should be parallel to the floor. Reach your arms towards the sky. As you exhale, bring your arms back down towards the floor while lifting your head and the very top of your shoulders off the mat. Continue this movement, breathing in and out to a count of five. Aim to keep your head and torso still and flatten the abdominal area.