Gwyneth Paltrow is meticulous about diet and exercise, and proved it pays off when she revealed a washboard stomach on holiday recently. The actress and mother-of-two, 42, devotes hours to maintaining her physique.

She is a fan of fitness guru Tracy Anderson's dance-inspired cardio workouts, with lots of repetitions with light weights.

'Tracy advised me to think of exercise as an automatic routine, just like brushing your teeth,' says Gwyneth. 'Now it's part of my life.' 

WHAT TO TRY: 

The Daily Mail reports that leg-lowering is great for targeting the abdominal muscles that will help you achieve a flat stomach.

Lie on your back, both legs extended straight up in the air and arms by your sides, palms facing downwards. Engage your abdominal muscles.

Slowly lower the legs without arching the back. When you can't stop your back arching, draw your legs back to the start, using the lower stomach muscles to pull them back. Repeat 12 to 15 times.