Lower Ab Exercises: Aerobics, Crunches, Leg Raises & Yoga

Flabby abdominals are quite unattractive. Even more important, the fatty deposits in the abdominal region are harmful and could be a symptom of high blood pressure, cardiovascular problems, diabetes and other problems. But the good news is that an appropriate diet and a regular exercise routine can eliminate your excess belly fat while giving you a trim body and good health. Avoid saturated fats and stick to fruits, veggies and whole-grain foods. Reduce your intake of meat and have moderately sized meals. Drink plenty of water and exercise for about one hour every day. Here are some effective lower ab exercises you can do at home.

Lower ab exercises: Cardio-vascular training involves at least half hour of aerobic exercises and works out the entire body including the abs. Exercises are aimed at raising the heart rate and sustaining it for at least 15-20 minutes; this increases the heart volume, improves blood circulation, increases oxygen consumption and enhances metabolism. It tones the muscles and helps in maintaining firm abs. Brisk walking, running, spinning, swimming, step aerobics, elliptical training, etc. are simple and effective aerobic exercises. Spot training for fat reduction is effective only when supplemented by cardiovascular training. Resolve to set aside at least 30 minutes everyday for these exercises.

If nothing else, I simply walk as much as I can every day - walk to the mail-box, park far enough from my office/shopping to get 10 minutes of walk, etc.

Lower ab exercises: Crunches help with the external muscles of the abdomen (rectus abdominus) and the obliques. Try the basic and oblique crunches to get rid of your belly fat. Here is the procedure.

Warm up with cardio exercises for 5-10 minutes before starting with crunches.

For basic crunches, lie on your back. Bend the knees into the inverted 'V' position. Place hands behind the head or on your chest.

Push the lower back against the floor and keep this position while crunching. If you arch the back, it will be severely stressed and it will hurt.

With relaxed neck muscles, curl your head, neck, and shoulders up off the floor and get as close as you can to your knees. If your abdominal muscles do not feel the stress, correct your position and flatten your back.

Hold and lower the upper body back to where you began. And repeat.

Obliques crunches are similar - they workout the obliques. Raise the upper body and reach towards to your left or right knee and alternate between them.

Do 4 sets of 8 basic and oblique crunches., alternate between them.

Keep breathing throughout the workout.

Lower ab exercises: Leg-raises are very effective in working out the lower half of the rectus abdominis and intercostal muscles. They also exercise the muscles in the buttocks. Here is the procedure for doing leg-raises.

Warm up with cardio exercises for 5-10 minutes before starting with leg-raises.

Lie on your back, and press your abdominal muscles against the floor to keep the lower back flat.

Straighten both legs. Raise one leg slowly off the floor as high as you can until you begin to feel a stretch.

Hold in this position for 10-20 seconds and slowly lower the leg but do not touch the ground.

Repeat 10 times and switch to the other leg. Do 3-4 sets of 10 raises on each leg 3-4 times a week.

Do not arch the lower back during this exercise - if you do, all the weight will have to carried by the lower back and this can be very stressful.

Add weights to your legs when you are comfortable with the leg-raises.

A tougher variation is to raise and lower both legs together.

Keep breathing throughout the workout.

Be careful not to stress the lower back while doing the crunches and leg-raises. Have music playing in the background to help take the mind off the physical stress.

Lower ab exercises: The extended side angle stretch (Utthita Parsvakonasana) Yoga pose stretches the obliques and firms up the abs. It is contraindicated in people with hypertension. Here is the procedure.

Stand straight with erect spine and hands by the sides.

Inhale and jump to place the feet (with toes pointing forward) about 4-feet apart and simultaneously raise the hands (stretching outwards, palms facing down) to the shoulder level.

Root the feet firmly in the ground, press with the outer edges of the feet and the little-toes.

Exhaling slowly, rotate the right leg and foot by 90 degrees to the right and turn the left foot slightly towards the right. Stretch the left leg out completely so that the knee is not bent. The weight of the body should fall on the knee of the right leg.

Bend the right knee so that the thigh and calf are at right angles and the thigh is parallel to the floor. Hold this pose and take a couple of breaths.

Exhaling, bend rightwards stretching the muscles of the left and place the right palm by the right foot. Stretch the left hand towards the right over the head.

Turn the head and look upwards.

Repeat with the left leg placed in the right angle position.

Perform this pose once a day.

Lower ab exercises: Warrior (Veerabhadrasana) Yoga pose helps in getting rid of the fat around the hips. firms up the back and improves posture. It is contraindicated in people with cardiac problems, abnormal menstrual bleeding patterns and dysentery. Here is the procedure.

Stand straight with erect spine and hands by the sides.

Inhale and jump to place the feet (with toes pointing forward) about 4-feet apart and simultaneously raise the hands (stretching outwards, palms facing down) to the shoulder level.

Root the feet firmly in the ground, press with the outer edges of the feet and the little-toes.

Exhaling slowly, rotate the right leg and foot by 90 degrees to the right and turn the left foot slightly towards the right. Stretch the left leg out completely so that the knee is not bent. The weight of the body should fall on the knee of the right leg.

Bend the right knee so that the thigh and calf are at right angles and the thigh is parallel to the floor.

Turn the head to the right.

Reach as far as you can with the outstretched hands and tighten the muscles of your thighs while pressing down on the right heel. Hold the posture for 30 seconds and breathe smoothly.

Perform this pose once a day.

It is important to learn Yoga from a seasoned teacher. Once you have mastered the postures, you can practice by yourself. If you do not have the flexibility to do a pose, stop where it hurts and breathe calmly. Once the muscles adjust, try to extend further. But do not over-stress. If done improperly, Yoga can hurt the back.

I have benefited significantly from these lower ab exercises. I started with 2 hours of these exercises a day for 4-5 days a week. In six months, I lost 20 lbs. and an inch off the waist. Now 1/2-1 hour of the exercises is sufficient to maintain my body fat and weight.