How can you tone up your belly without wreaking havoc on your back? Some abdominal strengthening exercises are tough to those whose back muscles are also weak. While a fit individual can do straight-leg sit-ups until the cows come home, someone not so fit may find that maneuver nearly crippling.

Instead, consider the Abdominal Curl. Lying flat on the floor, keep your knees bent and your arms across your chest. Rise up slowly, curling up each vertebra separately until you're at a 45-degree angle. This means your lower back should still be on the floor. Lower yourself slowly, which is a complementary exercise called the Curl Down.

According to fitness authority Charles E. Kuntzleman, Ed.D., who calls this "the best exercise you can do," this simple movement uses only the abdominal muscles. Because you keep your lower back firmly on the floor at all times, you don't involve weak back muscles that could be injured. Just be careful not to do this exercise with your arms behind your neck. The temptation is to pull on your neck, which could damage those muscles.

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